My original sound score for this dance piece reflected the wildly divergent approaches in the two halves (or “worlds”). In the first, sonic fragments were culled from a long list of movie scenes, old television commercials, YouTube videos, pop songs, nursery rhymes etc., gathered by the dancers. These short bursts of micro-edited media were synced to precise cues – shards of not-quite recognizable sonic detritus colliding with elaborate onstage recitations.
After an interlude/scene change (performed by the dancers to a stripped-down rhythmic track) the strategy changed completely. Within an all-white set, the dancers followed a loose improvisational score, adjusting plants, holding positions and speaking words. Each dancer approached a microphone to ring a bell or click stones and speak. I altered and mixed the dancer’s sounds, creating loops within loops. To this, I added a sparse backing of pure tones.
Performance Works NW
Portland OR , Dec. 2017
Video by Karl Lind Films
Seth Nehil 