Subcircle's "Some other body"

"Some other body" is an intimate solo dance created and performed by Niki Cousineau. The piece delves into the experience of living within a body, treating it as a vessel for memory, story, and sensation. Co-directed by Scott McPheeters and accompanied by live music from Willem Cousineau and Mason McAvoy, the performance blends dance, storytelling, stage design, and projections. Designed to evolve as Niki ages, this work uses movement and narrative to reveal the realities, humor, and wonder of inhabiting a body—embracing it as a unique container for personal experience. Friday, October 16 & Saturday, October 17 at 7:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM), approximately 65 minutes, no intermission. Tickets are $20 for Mechanics’ Hall Members, $25 for General Admission, and $35 for reserved seating; there is a $5 surcharge at the door. No one is turned away for lack of funds at the door. ABOUT THE ARTISTS Niki Cousineau is a dancer/choreographer now based in Biddeford, Maine, after 30 years in Philadelphia, where she co-founded Subcircle with Jorge Cousineau in 1999. Now co-directing Subcircle alongside Scott McPheeters, they marked the company's 20th anniversary with the opening of Subcircle Residency in Biddeford, Maine in 2019. Her choreographic work has been performed nationally and internationally, most notably at Fringe Arts Philadelphia, the Fabrik Potsdam, Dock 11 Berlin, Projekt Theater Dresden, New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas, and across the Philadelphia region. As a performer, she has worked with Headlong Dance Theater, Nichole Canuso Dance Company, and Group Motion Company among others. Niki is a recipient of a Pew Fellowship in the Arts and was a Choreographic Fellow at Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography in Tallahassee, FL. She has been a recipient of grants from Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, the Independence Foundation, and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Her theater credits include choreographing productions at the Arden Theater, Theatre Horizon, and Villanova University. Niki has been a visiting lecturer at the University of the Arts both in Philadelphia and for their international program in Tuscany, Italy, as well as at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts. Scott McPheeters (he/him) is a Maine based dance artist, educator, and co-director of arts non-profit, Subcircle, in Biddeford. He holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Sierra Nevada University, currently teaches at Bowdoin and Colby Colleges, and was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance at Bates College during the 2025/26 academic year. From 2004-2018 he lived and performed in Philadelphia working closely with companies and individuals including Nichole Canuso, Kun-Yang Lin, Enchantment Theatre Company, Bearded Ladies Cabaret and Marianela Boán. He joined Subcircle as a collaborator in 2008 and became a co-director of the company in 2014. ABOUT THE PARNTER Subcircle is a Biddeford-based arts non-profit with a mission to enhance and diversify performing arts offerings in Southern Maine. They are a dance company, arts presenting organization, and host artist residencies on their 9-acre farm in Biddeford. Originally founded as a dance and art installation company in Philadelphia, Subcircle relocated permanently to Maine in 2021. Since then, they have presented internationally renowned performances like BANDALOOP’s LOOM/FIELD, hosted over 50 artists in residence, supported the development of 12 original works by Maine choreographers, and have presented evening length performance works of their own including Vesper at the Ocean Park Temple, Til the Tide on the grounds of the Ogunquit Museum of American Art and Thine Eyes at the Pepperell Mills Campus in Biddeford. www.subcircle.org ABOUT THE MUSICIANS Mason McAvoy and Willem Cousineau have been musical and artistic collaborators for nearly a decade. They have performed in various band configurations, most notably as members of the 6-piece chamber folk band Foreland Basin, and presented their first experimental dance theatre piece Original Scrap at the Wilma this past June. Some Other Body is their third collaboration for the stage. Willem Cousineau is a composer, performer, and videographer from Philadelphia. He releases eccentric folk and electronic music under the alias Keepsake 1 Million. His work has been featured in performances at the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, and Bates College Immersive Studio in Maine. In 2026, he founded the record label Tiny Kick Records. Since 2023, he has been the Media Director for Urban Movement Arts, where he documents and amplifies the voices of local artists and educators. Mason McAvoy is an interdisciplinary artist, musician, and performer from Philadelphia. Her work has been presented at the Wilma Theater, Vox Populi, Headlong Dance Studio, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the Jazz Gallery in New York City, and Bates College Immersive Studio in Maine. She has also published poetry in Orange Crate Magazine. Mason is a friend and a swain of life. She leads with love, making actionable plans to live into the world of which she dreams. PARKING & TRANSPORTATION The Greater Portland Metro’s Congress & Casco Street Stop is directly in front of our building, served by routes 1, 7, 8, and 9B. Street Parking: Available on Congress, Casco, Cumberland, Free Street, and nearby streets. Pay by meter or the Passport Parking App. Free after 6 PM, on Sundays, and between Parris and Alder Street. Some blocks may vary — look for posted signs. Garages: The Arts District Garage (41 Brown St) has 250+ spaces, is open 24/7, and accepts credit card only, with entrances on Brown, Cumberland, and Casco. The Elm Street Garage (21 Elm St) is conveniently near the Portland Library. The Spring Street Garage is three blocks away at 45 Spring St. ACCESSIBILITY To enter our building, patrons will need to navigate a single step or use a modular ramp. Please note that the wheelchair ramp has a steep incline. A wheelchair-accessible elevator is available. The elevator is 60" deep, 48" wide, with a 32" door opening. There are four wheelchair-accessible bathrooms on the third-floor level, adjacent to the Ballroom. If you have a wheelchair or need accessibility accommodations/questions, please contact us at [email protected] or 207-773-8396.