Vancouver choreographer Crystal Pite has made the trip across the border three times in the last five years to perform at On the Boards. Seattle has a thing for her.

‘She’s probably one of our most…I don’t want to say popular, but adored art-dance makers who’s been here over the last several years,’ said OtB artistic director Lane Czaplinski. ‘There’s an explosive quality about her choreography.’ According to an OtB preview on Pite, she approaches each new project by taking a universal concept and asking, Can I make a dance out of this? This weekend’s performance of Dark Matters is no different: Aside from the allusion to the “dark matter” and dark energy of the universe—the great unknown—she also plays with the familiar Frankenstein story, as her troupe of Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM dancers, all in black, manipulate an angry puppet that turns on its maker. In the preview below, you can see how graceful the man-machine collaboration is.

Dark Matters has toured Europe, with a stopover at the Venice Biennale, and will be taped for ontheboards.tv. It’s an experience that translates in different mediums and venues, but there’s something about seeing it surrounded by avid Pite fans that sounds right.

Dark Matters is at On the Boards from Feb 17-20. Note: This show uses strobe lights.