Mar 19, 2013

Ormao Dance Company's 'Breaking Bread'


Leah Ragan in "As Vines We Walk Along the Path ..." Photo by Alberto Leopizzi

Inspired by the FAC's spring project exploring the theme of Families, Ormao Dance Company has commissioned four guest choreographers to create original work considering the many potential definitions of the timeless and complex topic of family, performing April 12-14 in our SaGāJi Theatre.



“Atmosphere”   
Choreographer: Tsui-Shuang Lai
Family. Sometimes it can be a microcosm of society. There are moments within a home of harmony amongst differences, but there can also be estrangement and suspicion ... A family that appears perfect on the outside may not know each other's inner world and the inconsistencies of each individual's external presentation and their true feelings. Perhaps if these inconsistencies were revealed, suspicion and jealousy would not exist.

“Rehearsal for the Aftermath”     
Choreographer: Mollie Wolf

This piece explores a family and an individual as they journey through grief. The loss, confusion, forgetfulness, anger, despair, and the power of a collective support system leads to the eventual calm of acceptance. Wolf collaborates with San Francisco-based digital composer, Albert Mathias and Denver-based video artist, John Regalado. Together they employ distorted video, fragmented text, and vibrational soundscape along side physical dance to create the depths of the dampened, heavy silence of an aftermath, which blends so unpredictably into the roller coaster of grief.

“As Vines, We Walk Along the Path...”   
Choreographer: Chung-Fu Chang
"Recipes Process" is a choreographic procedure that draws an inspiration from family recipes of making foods. Culinary cultural is a big part in Taiwan, we socialize with families and friends very often with food on the table. Each region in Taiwan and each family makes dishes that have their own character, flavor and texture with individual family’s touch; a common theme in all cultures. Recipes are an oral culture similar to dance, meaning the art form is passed down through generations of people, teachers and masters who instruct and verbally communicate the art forms and movements in his/her presence. Chang interacts with the dance artists to develop a theme, movement vocabulary and create an original dance work. The dance work is not necessarily about the foods or cuisines, but it is about sharing your family stories, cultures and oral tradition with others.


“the way it may be”    
Choreographer: Jeff Bickford
A 'fairy tale' series of images and events. Different ages, different personas living inside of us, appearing and disappearing like the phases of the moon. This is not a narrative, there is nothing to 'get' beyond what you experience, and your experience is determined by what persona you are in at the moment.  I never know what a piece is 'about', it starts with a visual image that comes with a certain feeling, then unfolds - I choreograph to find out what the Muse is pointing to.


Friday, Apr. 12,  7:30p | Saturday, Apr. 13, 7:30p | Sunday Apr. 14, 2p
  

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