We are so excited to finally release the details about our latest endeavour – AQUEOUS. For details about the production, please visit www.seraka.com/aqueous or join the Facebook Event.
I don’t want to write about what the show is, but instead want to share some insight into how the show is developing. This show has been an absolute 180 from our usual productions in so many ways.
The first difference with AQUEOUS is that we’re incorporating an overarching thematic structure; one inspired by the ocean, waves, liquids, the ebb and flow of tides, and the marvellous mythology of sirens. We started brain storming the show with a concept, then we chose the music and merged the songs into one continuous soundscape which has a clear introduction, build, climax, and resolution. This has allowed us to breathe some continuity into the pieces to create a full-length work of art, instead of stringing pieces together and forcing them to fit, after-the-fact (which is a more common practise when designing our sets).
Secondly, we’ve taken a new approach to how we disperse choreography. We usually pick a song, then merge our ideas and hash things out in the studio together, creating the piece collectively, then dance the piece we’ve created. This process for AQUEOUS is different in that we are distributing the music selections among the 5 of us, each taking ownership of the generation of movement for that piece. For each piece, one of us is working as the choreographer, then as the director, melding our ideas onto the dancers for that piece. We are stepping back from the performance of it, allowing the piece to grow and adapt to the dancers, and enjoying our ideas unfold before us instead of on us. Some of the other pieces include a mixture of structured improvisation, and choreography developed in our usual way.
The third, and most fundamental difference is that we’re not alone. We’ve enlisted a cast comprised of ourselves as well as 11 belly dancers from the greater St. John’s area. As opposed to arranging a lineup of independent pieces from each group or dancer, we’ve merged all dancers into one group and have choreographed onto the group as a whole, to work together as one unit, to create a merged, collaborative work.
I sincerely hope that you are as please to see the work as we are to present it. We’re all hearts in, and hope it brings you on at least some of the journey it’s brought us on along the way.
– Vanessa
