ARTSEMERSON PRESENTS NOLI TIMERE

DANCE, SCULPTURE & SUSPENSION IN MID-AIR

*****

A VISUALLY STUNNING NEW WORK BY REBECCA LAZIER AND JANET ECHELMAN FIVE PERFORMANCES ONLY EMERSON CUTLER MAJESTIC THEATRE JANUARY 29 – FEBRUARY 1, 2026

[Boston, MA – Monday, December 22, 2025] – ArtsEmerson, Boston’s leading presenter of contemporary world theater and film and the professional presenting and producing organization of Emerson College, is proud to present Noli Timere, a breathtaking aerial and sculptural spectacle, from January 29 – February 1, 2026, at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. This luminous new work invites audiences into a world where gravity is optional, connection is essential, and our collective capacity for trust and renewal is celebrated.

In Noli Timere (Latin for “be not afraid”), eight multidisciplinary performers move through, over, and inside a custom-designed net sculpture created by internationally renowned sculptor Janet Echelman. Suspended up to 25 feet above the stage, the net becomes both stage and partner — a living, morphing organism shaped by movement, light, sound, and balance. Under the direction and choreography of Guggenheim-award winning artist Rebecca Lazier, with an original score by Québécois composer Jorane, the performance blends contemporary dance, avant-garde circus, installation art and expressive engineering to explore the fragile beauty and urgency of human and ecological interconnectedness.

“What began as a simple question—how to bring humans into a suspended net sculpture—opened new ways of imagining space, relationships, and interdependence,” says director Rebecca Lazier. “Woven from a six-year collaboration between myself, Janet Echelman, Jorane, engineers, performers, riggers, and designers, Noli Timere forms a world where choreography and sculpture, music and dance, hope and fear, and human connection become inseparable— rendered visible and tangible through shared movement.”

“For the first time, I’ve created a new kind of sculpture as a world for dancers to inhabit, where the sculpture itself becomes a dancer, just at a different scale,” said artist Janet Echelman. “Noli Timere is the culmination of a long artistic search to express how to navigate a world where the ground is no longer solid – and how to do this without fear.”

“We are excited to open the 2026 portion of our 15th anniversary season with Noli Timere,” says Ronee Penoi, Interim Executive Director of the Office of the Arts & Director of Artistic Programming at ArtsEmerson. “Janet Echelman lives in Boston and her studio is in Brookline; her work has appeared over the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway and now we are thrilled to bring it to the Cutler Majestic stage. In a time defined by uncertainty and distance, this piece isn’t just about resisting the gravity that weighs on us, it’s about choosing to catch each other when we fall, to carry each other through the invisible webs that bind us.”

Tickets for Noli Timere may be purchased 24/7 at ArtsEmerson.org, or by calling 617-824-8400 (Tue-Sat from 12:00PM ET – 6:00PM ET). The Paramount Center Box Office (559 Washington Street, Boston) is open for walk-up service Thu-Sat from Noon – 6:00 PM ET. Tickets start at $27.50. Groups of 10+ attending a performance save up to 30%.

For production stills and other media kit assets, click here.

LISTINGS INFORMATION FOR NOLI TIMERE

Public Health Information

Mask-wearing is strongly encouraged at all times while indoors at the theatre but is no longer required for most* performances and events. For folks who require a socially distanced seating location or who have other questions or concerns, please contact the Box Office by phone at 617.824.8400 or by emailing tickets@artsemerson.org to arrange seating that accommodates your needs. Masks and face shields will also be available at the theatre upon request. If you or a member of your party is feeling sick, experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, or has been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 10 days, please stay home. Our box office will allow you to refund or exchange performance tickets at any time prior to the event. No one should come to the venue if they are not feeling well. It is within our values to create a safe space for everyone, full stop. All staff at the Theatres of Emerson College are working to ensure the health and safety of all who are sharing these spaces. Maintaining our community’s health and safety requires the effort of all involved. By committing to this Shared Code of Conduct, you are not only protecting yourself, but fellow guests, artists, and staff. Please do all you can to help keep all of us safe. We cannot wait to see you at the theater! Click here to review full info on Health and Wellness information.

CREDITS & BIOGRAPHIES

Director: Rebecca Lazier Sculptor/Visual Artist: Janet Echelman and Studio Echelman Choreography: Rebecca Lazier in collaboration with the performers Music Composed and performed by: Jorane Lighting Design: Leigh Ann Vardy Costume Design: Mary Jo Mecca Performers: Joaquin Barral Yarian, Zed Cezard, Clark Griffin, Valmont Harnois, Bia Pantojo, Raphaëlle Renucci, Gillian Seaward-Boone, and Madi Ward.

Rebecca Lazier (Director/Choreographer) is a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow. Recognized as an audacious experimenter, Rebecca creates dances of explosive vitality inspired by the thinking and innovation made possible through collaboration. Her choreography has been performed throughout New York, Canada, Greece, Russia, Turkey, and Poland. Rebecca is Professor of the Practice at Princeton University and graduated from The Juilliard School.

Janet Echelman (Sculptor) reshapes airspace with monumental, suspended pieces that react to environmental forces around them. Her net-like works combine ancient craft with advanced technology, and are focal points for public squares, parks, and museum exhibitions. Recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship and Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award, Echelman’s works have become focal points for urban life on five continents.

Jorane (Composer) combines classical cello and haunting vocals to craft unique, alternative music that draws on rock, folk, classical, and ambient styles. Her musical career has spanned more than 20 years, she has received the André Gagnon Award and nods from Junos, Adisq, and GAMIQ. Jorane has created soundtracks for theatrical, cinematographic, televisual and documentary works.

PRESENTER INFORMATION

ArtsEmerson
ArtsEmerson is the professional presenting and producing organization at Emerson College, and its mission is to bring people together to experience powerful performances that delight, provoke, and inspire, celebrating both our differences and common humanity. Founded in 2010 by Robert J. Orchard — the year the U.S. Census confirmed there was no single cultural majority in Boston — ArtsEmerson is committed to building a cultural institution that reflects the diversity of our city. ArtsEmerson is led by Interim Executive Director of the Office of the Arts & ArtsEmerson Director of Artistic Programming, Ronee Penoi. For more information visit ArtsEmerson.org.

Emerson College
Emerson College is uniquely dedicated to the arts and communication, educating and inspiring storytellers and artists to impact and advance creative industries and media throughout the world. Based in the world-class city of Boston, Massachusetts, opposite the historic Boston Common and in the heart of the city’s Theater District, the College offers experiential learning programs in Boston and across the globe. Emersonians, including 58,000+ alumni, shape industries, inspire change, and amplify voices that redefine our culture. For more information, visit emerson.edu.