Three Theories is an intense dance piece that is full of energy. It was influenced by physicist, Brian Greene’s book, The Elegant Universe and three theories – General Theory of Relativity, Quantum Mechanics and String Theory – that are discussed in the book. Karen Armitage choreographs rapidly changing movements that are forceful, sensuous and physical to represent the concepts of the theories. Armitage describes the work as, “a balletic work” and goes on to say:
“There are forces that move us which we understand; others which we don’t. My dances are the combination of both. The ultimate purpose in bringing together such forces is to create beautiful and symbolically meaningful movement that quickens our sense of the world.”
Below are three video excerpts from performances of Three Theories:
Armitage Gone! Dance are based in the US, predominantly performing in New York, but have toured across Europe including venues in Germany, Italy, Belgium and the UK.
If you would like to find out more about Armitage Gone! Dance, you can visit their website at: www.armitagegonedance.org
This week we’re featuring an interesting new performance piece that Johanne Timm and Riccardo Attanasio submitted to The Medium of…. Insights is a performance piece that considers, “the relation of two bodies exploring breath as a shared need and connection in a geometrical system of figures. The performers are attached to nylon strings in order to play with the tension and a third body is created in between” (artists’ description).
The piece is quite intricate in structure and pays a great deal of attention to detail, most notably drawing on various aspects of physics and geometry. The full description of the piece (see below) puts it in context and has the capacity to markedly enrich the experience of the work.
Insights has already had performances in several venues across Europe including at the Biennale for Young Art, Moscow.
Here’s a video of the piece in performance (full description is below):
Johanne and Riccardo’s Description of Insights:
“Insights is a research [piece] about the relation of two bodies exploring breath as a shared need and connection in a geometrical system of figures. The performers are attached to nylon strings in order to play with the tension and a third body is created in between.
The performance starts with the unison of two bodies one behind the other. Slowly they separate and translate their figures beside each other to tune their connection with themselves and the public. An imaginary axis divides the two performers and they rotate on that hinge until they face each other. On the outline of their bodies 16 nylon strings, 3 metres long are attached by a specific transparent glue, suitable for the skin. Both are linked and move reflecting each other forming an equivalent. Stepping backwards the 16 strings will start to straighten until they slowly get into tension:In physics, tension is the magnitude of the pulling force exerted by a string, or similar object on another object. It is the opposite of compression. Tension is measured in relation to the string on which it applies. There are two basic possibilities for objects to be held by strings in a system. Either movement is constant and the system is therefore in equilibrium or there is acceleration and therefore a net force is present.
The two performers and the strings are the system that is in equilibrium when the bodies are diaphanous, communicating. This requires listening and coordinating impulses to operate in unison. The strings of nylon are a visible connection, like cables that transmit information. The glue links the strings to the skin, the surface of the body. The in- and out- breath is communicating vividly between the performers. Slowly a synergy between the performers establishes.
When the pulling force increases or one of the performer moves independently without communicating, the nylon strings will cut off. This risk and fragility is subject to the whole performance. Once the nylon connections are detached the visualization of the third body vanishes. You can perceive the third body in between the two figures whose outlines are attached by the strings. By pulling the strings the points of the outline translate in space, like a figure in geometry. The area created in the middle seems like an empty, negative space. The perception might shift and the space is like a solid, positive figure itself.
Insights is looking for the inbetween.”
To find out more about Johanne and Riccardo on this site, please visit:
Loading...
