Afternoon of the Faunes (from Dream Analysis, 1996), choreographed by Mark Dendy to Debussy’s classic work of the same name, was inspired by a section of Vaslav Nijinsky’s diary. Paying homage to Nijinsky’s L’apres-midi d'un faune and expounding on Nijinsky’s odd, eccentric animal movement, Dendy recreates the ballet for two men and explores both the subject and object relationship as well as the ego and the id of the faun. The duet walks the tightrope between the madness and genius that was the tragedy of Nijinsky's life.

"Afternoon of the Faunes – Debussy and all – brings together Nijinsky’s sundered halves, dressed in goats kin, to run zestfully in unison, arms wig-wagging, to frolic with each other like loving animals."
- Deborah Jowitt, Village Voice

"Love and ultimate faith in the power of dance, is made unabashedly clear in AFTERNOON OF THE FAUNES, the brief golden duet, for the two Nijinsky’s improbable but inspired climax."
- Jennifer Dunning, New York Times

"'Faunes' redirects the animal desire of the faune to his male alter ego. With ritualistically repetitive passages of running or elfin like somersaults, the two male faunes passionately celebrate their desire. There is no cure for tis splendid madness; just the unfolding of magical intimacy."
– Jonathan Denis Jackson, Philadelphia City Paper

Mark Dendy’s company, Mark Dendy’s Dance and Theater (1983 - 2000), performed at festivals across the United States and internationally from 1983 – 2000.  His credits include Dream Analysis, I’m Going to my Room to be Cool Now and I Don’t Want to be Disturbed, Preliminary Study in Depth: The Upper Half of High and Low, the Broadway and off-Broadway productions of Taboo, The Pirate Queen, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well, Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party (Drama Desk Nomination), Camille Claudel (Goodspeed), the Radio City Rockettes in Carnivale and Julie Taymor’s The Magic Flute.  Dendy is choreographing Bat Out of Hell, the music of Meatloaf, for London’s West End.

* Denotes Company performing a work as a part of the 100th Anniversary celebration of the Ballets Russes