Blog Post #1

When I am creating a new choreographic work, I am thinking early on how all the different elements of the project can come together and am always looking for ways that different art mediums can be brought together collaboratively.  A dance piece, for me, does not truly take shape until it is put on the stage and enhanced by lighting and special effects. During Physical Graffiti 2019, I stood backstage, capturing with my camera, a new perspective of the pieces on stage.  Behind the lens of a camera, I was able to capture frozen moments on stage, moments that the audience would not be able to witness, and these moments were intensified by the dramatic effects of the lighting, shadows from the moving figures, and costumes on stage.  

This particular shot that I captured evoked, for me, feelings of fantasy, fiction, and technology.  It was a surreal experience. The lighting was the main factor that contributed to this fantasy, and from the side of the stage, I was offered a new perspective of the choreography and of the atmosphere.  In the background, displayed by the side lighting are hues of red, radiating feelings of intensity and passion. To contrast those shades, the (not present in the photograph) sidelights on stage right cast different shades of green and blue that reflect off of the dancers, creating an alien-like quality to their forms.  These deep cool colors sculpted the dancers’ bodies and the intensity of the lighting mirrors the intensity of the dancers’ gazes. This contrast of warm and cool colors projects an epic quality for me. This piece, which was titled Mix&Match was a choreographed video game, the dancers depicting different “old school” videogames and their movements became animated.  I found it interesting that the two colors in the photograph do not really collide, the red remaining in the air of the piece while the blues and greens remain within the bodies of the dancers.  The lights on the scrim included checkerboard patterns varied with bright colors, a playful spectrum of playful video game inspired effects. Although this picture does not portray all of the different qualities that this piece possessed, the overall effect is the same and reminds me of the emotions and feelings I felt while viewing the piece in person.