Deconstructing the Shadow Self (Without the Pretentious Price Tag)
Why projectALCHEMY’s New Show is for Everyone
by Avery Anderson
Let’s be entirely honest for a moment. Mention "contemporary dance paired with tarot-inspired shadow photography and material memory," and half the room immediately checks out, fearing they’re about to endure ninety minutes of a performer rolling silently across a hardwood floor to the sound of a malfunctioning microwave. We’ve all been burned by high art that feels less like a cultural experience and more like an intellectual hazing ritual.
But projectALCHEMY isn’t here to gatekeep. Under the direction of Alexander Jones, this St. Pete-based contemporary dance company has spent years actively dismantling the invisible "keep out" sign hanging over experimental performance, proving that deeply profound art can—and should—belong to the community.
On June 27, 2026, they are taking over The Palladium Theater with What Remains: Dance, Visual Art & Photography. It’s a massive, interdisciplinary collision that manages to be brilliantly high-concept while remaining completely, radically accessible.
Breaking the Fourth Wall Before the Show Even Starts
Normally, going to the theater involves sitting in a dark room, staring at a distant stage, and praying your stomach doesn't make a weird noise during a dramatic pause. What Remains rejects that entire passive dynamic.
Instead of hiding the art behind a heavy velvet curtain until the clock strikes 7:30, the entire environment is "activated" the second you walk through the doors at 6:30 PM. The organizers are practically begging you to arrive early, grab a drink, and actually exist inside the space before the official performance begins.
The show bridges two of the company’s most celebrated collaborative works, originally forged during their time as 2025 Creative Fellows at The Palladium:
- The Landscape (bloom and residue): Visual artist Rebekah Lazaridis has transformed the stage into an evolving, tactile ecosystem made of fabric and texture. It explores what happens when we finally break free from cycles of repetition.
- The Atmosphere (ABOVE/below): Surrounding the orchestra seating is a massive photographic installation by Joey Clay. Grounded in the archetypal imagery of the tarot's Major Arcana (think Death, The Devil, and The Tower), it effectively wraps the audience inside a visual representation of the human shadow self.
By wrapping the art around the seating rather than trapping it on stage, projectALCHEMY forces a shift. You aren't just a spectator looking at a painting; you are physically sitting inside the canvas.
Art Grounded in Shared Human Reality
What makes this project distinctly "Tampa Bay" is its emotional gravity. This isn't abstract nonsense designed to make a critic feel smart; it’s a deeply human look at trauma, memory, and evolution. As Artistic Director Alexander Jones puts it, this work is an extension of real, messy, lived experience.
"What Remains is an evening of growth—for me, for the collaborators, and for the company. These works span two to seven years of building something new from something old. That reflects my life—learning, shifting, and creating a different tomorrow from the residue of yesterday, now. I invite audiences to step into that process and discover what remains for them."— Alexander Jones, Artistic Director
The Lowdown: How to Experience It
If you want to support local culture that actually gives a damn about the community it feeds, here are the logistical details you need to know:
- The Date: Saturday, June 27, 2026.
- The Timeline: Doors open at 6:30 PM (seriously, get there early to explore the installation). The dance portion kicks off promptly at 7:30 PM.
- The Runtime: A tight, respectful 75 minutes. This includes a 15-minute Part I, a 15-minute intermission to process your feelings, and a 45-minute Part II.
- The Venue: The historic Palladium Theater in downtown St. Pete—a 1925 landmark that continues to be a crucial hub for accessible, diverse local art.
- Admission: Tickets are available directly via The Palladium at SPC box office.
Skip the sterile, pretentious gallery spaces this month. Go to The Palladium, stand among the fabric and the photographs, and watch a community of local visionaries breathe together. You might just find out what remains of yourself in the process.