Stolen Images

What inspires you to find your movement?  
For this particular piece, certain memories I have with my family and friends inspired each step. I made a certain word or phrase into a movement that would reflect these different memories that I have with the people that are close to me.

Tell us a bit about you piece is there a story line? 
The piece starts with a prelude where our main dancer, Lieneke Matte, is surrounded by a group of people I called the family. The family pressures the main character to the point where she feels so frustrated that she goes into an episode. The first section is what an episode looks like on the inside, while on the outside it looks as if she is just frozen. It starts off with a group I called the emotions, the emotions bring her around the stage leading her to an even darker state of mind. In the middle of this section main dancer’s thoughts of her emotions and family intertwine and become overwhelming. As the first section transitions into the second, the person I call the loved one, in real life comes and finds Lieneke after her episode which makes her darker thoughts go away. The second section is a pas de duex with the main character and the loved one, where she learns how to be comfortable with another person and trust that they will be there for her. At the end of the pas she learns that you can be uplifted by someone who has an understanding of what you’re going through.

How did the idea of utilizing light within movement come about?
My technology are ten circular push lights that are lined up horizontally along the back of the stage. The idea came about because I wanted to represent an internal feeling, with an external and physical technology. The lights symbolize how emotions the dancer feels the interaction with the lights allows the audience to see inside her mind.

How to the dancers speak to the mental frustration? 
As the dancers pursue their roles, the family sees main character as if she’s not working hard enough, not as good as she could be, and shooting unnecessary negativity that fills her mind and mixes with her emotions. It’s almost as if she is numb from what they’ve said because she’s heard it time after time. The emotions lead main character further into her dark thoughts, throwing her around and taking advantage of her blank state of mind. The loved one, has a totally different view and has compassion that she is trying her hardest and deserves to be saved.

Which of the field trips involved with the choreographic research project inspired or sparked creativity? 
All of the field trips gave me a good sense of how the worlds of dance and technology can combine. The one field trip that peaked my interest was the trip to NASA, that gave me a great sense of how the virtual, and physical world meet. For this specific piece, I wanted to bring a physical item into play and see how I could present what a mental thought or feeling was with a simple item.