Artists from different disciplines have been brought together to study the movement of a wave. Initial exploration has been done by each discipline “representative” independently. Following this initial stage all research was shared in a mutual creative space. Dependent and independent interactions came to life at this meeting point between sound, movement and the projection of visual images. This liminal space that is created in the meeting point of these elements ensue a sensation of waves and ocean. The exploration brought us to see how our essential being relates to this movement and rhythm of a wave: in breathing, swallowing, walking, sex, heartbeat and many other primal actions.
Three dancers creating a wave movement originating in their spine. There are moments when they accelerate to the point where human becomes animal like and impulsive. The dancers then resort back to a primal, instinctive way of communicating, conveying waves one to the other using the surfaces of their skin which becomes a sort of conductive human substance. Throughout this space the sound of Tibetan singing bowls played with a looper resonates and echoes with a human voice. Images of waves and waters are projected on various surfaces of the venue, sometimes it seems as though these images are viewers themselves and sometimes, they dissolve into the moving human bodies. The visual effect of shadow and light, the animation videos and the movement of the dancers create a sensation of many living beings flowing in the space.
The Dalez ontology “Animal Mind” has been an inspiration for this creation. Our emphasis was attuned not to the imitation of the animal but to the exploration of conceptual boarders which exist in interactions, ranging from the level of physical proximity to level of empathy.
The venue is intimate, people sit in a circle close to the floor, close to the happening up to the extent that they might just feel part of it physically and/or emotionally.
“I still feel the waves, as if I am sitting on a small boat. It feels as if I am moving to the rhythm of the waves which I saw, felt and heard” (viewer reaction)
Many others expressed being flooded with sensations and thoughts about birth, death, identity and being on a journey together.
Ripples has run 14 times in front of a live audience but is in an endless course of development. Due to Covid-19 constraints, the venue was first happening in my personal home studio with a limited audience and now we performed in larger places.
