Rebirth
Once was, Now is, Always you
REbirth
Presented by
Methodz of Madzness
Once was, Now is, Always you
Rebirth is about the possibilities that unfold as you grow into your truest form. It is about the transformative process after an odyssey is thrown in your path. You must choose to move through it and risk being untethered in a sea of turmoil, or alternatively, miss the opportunity life has to offer in retreating to the safety of calmer shores. Two roads lie before you, and you now must make a definitive choice. Ambition can be a tempest in the mind of the creative. It can help you rise to new heights, but only after accepting that it may also tear you down in the shadow of failure and the flame of ego. This suite explores themes of isolation and self-sabotage on the journey to find purpose.
Performed By
Alison McGuire, Allison Berowski, Amelia Kearney, Andi Ralph, Angelina larkin, Antoinia Abraham, Blythe Lockwood, Bria McNeal, Brittany Jean-Noel, Cassi Silver, Christie spessard, Dana Liguori, Emma Johnston, Franny Foster, Gabriella Marra, Grace Parent, Hannah COne, Morgan Lalanne, Ioanna Ninos, Ire'Ana Gerald, Isabel Braverman, Jasmyn molaei, Jennesa Lincke, Katelynn Holt, Kristin Jones, Kristy Tijerina, Larissa Daruge, Lily Kraus, Madelyn Kelly, Maia Isabel Frias, Mari Kojima, Maria Panina, Michael Powell, Nancy huang, Nikky Fournelis, Sophie cucco, Sydney Vail, Zandra marshall, Zaraith Hernández, Zawadi boyce
Methodz of Madzness Artistic Director
Madz Alexander
Madz Rraine Alexander is a dancer and creative artist based in Brooklyn, New York. She is one of the visionary founders of Methodz and the Artistic Director of both Methodz of Madzness and Madzness Rising. A 2023 graduate of Radford University, Madz earned her BFA in Dance before relocating to New York City to launch her professional career.
Since moving to NYC, Madz has performed with Pretty Big Movement, appeared in the Lululemon “Glow Up” campaign, graced the runway experience of “The Bigger Picture” at New York Fashion Week, and was featured in the New York Times article “Dancers of All Sizes Hope Change Follows a Discrimination Ban.” Her performance credits also include the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade opening with Billy Porter, work with Offset, and collaborations with several other major brands and artists.
With every project, Madz champions inclusivity, authenticity, and the power of self-expression. Her mission is deeply personal: to be the voice she needed as a young dancer—a voice that says you are enough, you belong, and your artistry matters. For Madz, dance is more than movement; dance is made by passion, and she pours that passion into every stage, studio, and space she touches.
Assistant Director
Franny Foster
Franny Foster, is currently studying dance at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. They started their dance career at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, WI. Later, they enrolled at Ballet Co. Labrotory in St. Paul, MN. In September of 2022 they began training with The Joffrey Ballet School. In 2023 they became a member of the JacoTayl Dance Company in NYC. They also are earning a BFA through Joffrey Ballet School in collaboration with New Jersey City University May of 2026.
Their time in New York City has been spent with the Methodz of Madzness dance company and JacoTayl dance company. Franny is also acting assistant director at Methodz. They have choreographed for student films, collaborating with NYU, Parsons ‘The New School’ and NYCDA. They are a member of the ‘Free of Propaganda’ movement and have presented live, interactive art installations around the city. They have produced a few of their own dance/short films including: ‘XPOSURE’ and ‘Hi, De, Ho, Man’.
Act 1
The fall
Interlude - Stillness Before The Shift
This segment embodies the calmer shore in question—it remains predictable, steady, yet stagnant. holds fast, but the uneasiness lurking underneath acknowledges that there is more for you in other spaces. You simply have to find them and fight the inner voice saying it would be easier to remain as you are. Safe, albeit disquieted. The other side of yourself is beckoning and although it remains unknown, its allure is too great. The doubt about what you’d become if no growth happens at all is writhing within and must be liberated.
Observation - Mirror of The Unchanged
Within the stillness, our dancers project a sense of hope in the sheer possibility of growing beyond what they have known. Alongside it, however, a mirror image is projected into our mind’s eye. It begs difficult questions of us haphazardly, but not without intentionality. Doubt taints the joy of possibility and they are left wondering if growth is the right choice. Is it easier to stay in what you’ve known rather than shaking the grounds of stability? What could you become instead? What doubts would you still have even if you commit to the path of least resistance? Would you be fulfilled? That is the path forward if an internal reckoning is not grappled with.
Antagonist - The Shadow That Stirred It
When embers of doubt creep in, there are always people who will stoke the flames. These adversaries sow the seeds of chaos and mercilessly revel in the inevitable fall. Predatory personalities will always search for the light and douse it expeditiously. For the artist, it could very well be your own inner critic; the societal norm; a judgemental comment by a passerby. The foundations of negativity are endless when you have been torn down by the weight of your own mind alongside the heaviness of the world. These forces show little remorse and gleefully tear into self-expression, unabashedly using the sharpest of blades. The anger fed by the embers of doubt continues the web of criticism unless we forge our own path through it.
Battle - The Ones Who Fell
The ones who fell are those that were forcefully culled by the heralds of doubt that remain at work even after the fallout of the battle has dissipated. The tempest that shook the “safety” of stagnancy was an ugly thing, but not without some fruition. Although there has been a loss, it can also be seen as a shedding of an older self that no longer serves you.
Who Done It - The Unmasking
In searching for the antagonist, those who remain are left with the task of excavating the truth. They need to find someone to blame. Collective investigation is the root of all justice and they intend to band together to discover the culprit.
Breaking the Mind’s Gate
Once the culprit has been exposed. The remorse of what they’ve done eventually burdens their mind. They have to face the repercussions of their actions and are faced with the gravity of their impact. They can no longer hide from their mask of their cynicism and are forced to have their own reckoning when confronted with the aftermath.
Act 2
The Rising
Fracture in the Mind
Frenetic energy of a fractured mind. Our soloist is a flightless bird stuck in oil. Thrashing and unable to see the end of the struggle. Their singular power feels unmatched compared to the frenetic power of the many, but there are various ways in which this power can be harnessed and they have only seen it used for destruction at the hands of their adversary.
Community - We Gather, Therefore We Rise
Many of us feel alone in the undercurrent of life, but we forget that those around us can help carry the weight of the fall. Piecing ourselves back together and gathering strength through togetherness is the next layer of protection against the destructive forces, both internal and external.
Obstacles - Return of the Chaos
Our adversarial thoughts are back rearing their ugly head again. For one last time they’ll plant the seed of doubt within and see if you’ll take the bait. This is the final instance of shedding the toxicity that our opponents have sought to infect us with. But your defense has grown stronger and the strength in the collective is more potent than the one.
Mental Obstacles - Through the Blur
Memories come floating back on the heels of your odyssey. You’ve gone through trials and tribulations to get here and there are more trials ahead. Could the road be easier if you just returned to where you started? Rejecting all the growth and shedding you’ve done and returning to the mask of your old self. Knowing you must metamorphosize but choosing not to ultimately is a disservice to the journey your struggle has forged.
Rebirth - Pulse of the New Dawn
The trial is finally over and the path has been chosen. The metamorphosis has occurred and a new dawn approaches. You’ve made the decision to take a step into the unknown and you’ve grown because of it. For better or worse, only time will tell. The newfound confidence and reassurance you’ve found within yourself and your community will be your guide for success. Our final tableau is an ode to the beginning of the journey and how these periods of growth within creative life never truly end. There will always be a cycle of change. It is our decision as people whether or not we decide to take the plunge into the unknown, but we are almost always better in taking that leap.
Mother of Pearl - Sasha Youngblood
Music Credits
Wakefulness (ft Jack Hirschman)
ORI
Gifted
Storm
Demise of a Nation
Cow Song
Blades of Venus
Persistance
Standing On The Horizon (feat. Moses Sumney)
Woodkid
Cristobal Tapia De Veer
Hunger
Christophe Filippi
Emergence
Cristobal Tapia De Veer
Abyss
Christophe Filippi
LVDF
Meredith Monk & Collin Walcott
Secession Studios
Christophe Filippi
Cristobal Tapia De Veer
Special Thanks
Methodz owners
Alison McGuire, Jordan Cozens, Madz Alexander
Stage Crew
Jordan Cozens
Videographer
Caitlin Navarrete
Visual Artist
Photographer
Stage Design
Michael Powell
Simon Tosenovsky
Sasha Youngblood
Artistic Statement
Will Ryan III