Heidi Strauss pushes limits in elsewhere
September 23rd 2014
Article about elsewhere choreographed by Heidi Strauss, presented by Danse-Cité at Theatre Prospero.
- Oliver Koomsatira
Humankind has been able to surmount countless obstacles throughout its evolution, sometimes in the face of apocalyptic circumstances. What is it that permits this species to learn and make choices that can ultimately insure its survival? Part of the answer can perhaps be found in what the Heidi Strauss mentions in relationship to her newest work elsewhere. She decided to look at human adaptability and resilience in the face of everyday situations and obstacles. Perhaps these two characteristics have something to do with our ability to thrive when times are hard. Most of us face quite a bit of setbacks any given day, whether they are tiny or of epic proportions. But how is it some are able to cope with more than others? Survival of the fittest? Education? Genetics? All evolutionary questions aside, we'll find out more about the choreographer's thoughts on the topic as it relates to her new piece.
First, what is it about everyday situations and obstacles that is of particular interest to the choreographer? "It is not so much the depiction or representation of everyday situations that I am interested in, or wish to recreate; it is a fascination with people. That bodies are suitcases for all these parcelled experiences, some mundane, some beautiful and some more traumatic - but we don’t necessarily see these histories when we first meet people. We see them as they are, or as they want to be seen. Since the situations people encounter are usually temporary, when the situation is over, the person remains, bearing the impact - great or small - of what they have just lived. I am interested in what is visible of the affect of these experiences: the residue left that determines behaviour and response, how these elements translate into resilience or fragility." Indeed, as the old saying goes, something can either make or break you. Perhaps this is where one can find a source of strength when faced with difficult situations. Or perhaps, what may seem like a horrible turn of events can actually be a blessing in disguise. "I think that often we don’t know the potential of a situation - or our own potential - until we are met with unexpected circumstances or push ourselves to new limits. I explored this first in the creation of elsewhere by extending/playing with limits of interaction, physical range, and speed - looking for the relationships and interdependencies within the work and among the dancers. I began with movement, real consequence and physical response, to look at the body and all it can carry."
Has the choreographer approached this production in the same way she did her previous ones? She tells us more about the similarities and differences in her creative process: "You could say I was very affected by the process, which happened in phases over the course of 3 years. The idea of creating a work that is actually about being in-between, exploring what might be the edge of knowing, means that on top of working within a time-based/ephemeral form, I was giving myself something less than concrete to explore. In some ways this has been the process in my solo work, but doing this with other people was constantly humbling. I think each process underlines certain things again and again. Each time I go further, but it doesn’t get easier!" Indeed, that may be one of the biggest challenges for artists. As time passes and the public's expectations rise, some creators may sometimes get nervous when they realize it doesn't get any easier to create. Thus, the idea of having to live up to past successes can actually stifle creativity altogether. "I have had the incredible benefit of working over the last 5 creations with Ginelle Chagnon, who comes into the process as an outside eye. It’s always enlightening because my relationship to the work changes - the conversation and questions that arise have me look at myself as a creator without any protective shield - in a very naked way."
On a more technical side, we discovered Heidi enjoys incorporating video to her work. In fact, she has actually used this fusion before: "I’ve often used projection in my own work, as well as in theatre and opera productions I’ve been involved with. Of course, the voice and purpose of projection depends on what the exploration is. In elsewhere it is integrated to augment the environment, affecting and enlivening the space in different ways." And how has this enhanced her creative process? "It adds more potential to how the scenography can also be layered with a history, changing how intimate or expansive/big or small a moment, and the space can be."
And what's next for the choreographer after elsewhere is presented next week? "I’ll be heading to Europe for a professional development period, which I feel very lucky about. And when I come back, I’ll be at the Theatre Centre in Toronto where I’m a resident artist. As part of the residency, I’ve been working on a new creation with Luke Garwood [who is in elsewhere], Simon Portigal, and Naishi Wang. It has a working title of what it’s like and looks at brotherhood, manipulation, and the senses, all in a wide open room. I’m really looking forward to returning to that. And to simple things, like walking my son to school." There you have it, elsewhere is presented October 1st to the 4th, 8pm at Theatre Prospero. For more details, visit Danse-Cité's website.
http://www.danse-cite.org/en/shows/2014/elsewhere
Dancers in the show: Danielle Baskerville, Miriah Brennan, Luke Garwood, Molly Johnson and Brendan Wyatt
First, what is it about everyday situations and obstacles that is of particular interest to the choreographer? "It is not so much the depiction or representation of everyday situations that I am interested in, or wish to recreate; it is a fascination with people. That bodies are suitcases for all these parcelled experiences, some mundane, some beautiful and some more traumatic - but we don’t necessarily see these histories when we first meet people. We see them as they are, or as they want to be seen. Since the situations people encounter are usually temporary, when the situation is over, the person remains, bearing the impact - great or small - of what they have just lived. I am interested in what is visible of the affect of these experiences: the residue left that determines behaviour and response, how these elements translate into resilience or fragility." Indeed, as the old saying goes, something can either make or break you. Perhaps this is where one can find a source of strength when faced with difficult situations. Or perhaps, what may seem like a horrible turn of events can actually be a blessing in disguise. "I think that often we don’t know the potential of a situation - or our own potential - until we are met with unexpected circumstances or push ourselves to new limits. I explored this first in the creation of elsewhere by extending/playing with limits of interaction, physical range, and speed - looking for the relationships and interdependencies within the work and among the dancers. I began with movement, real consequence and physical response, to look at the body and all it can carry."
Has the choreographer approached this production in the same way she did her previous ones? She tells us more about the similarities and differences in her creative process: "You could say I was very affected by the process, which happened in phases over the course of 3 years. The idea of creating a work that is actually about being in-between, exploring what might be the edge of knowing, means that on top of working within a time-based/ephemeral form, I was giving myself something less than concrete to explore. In some ways this has been the process in my solo work, but doing this with other people was constantly humbling. I think each process underlines certain things again and again. Each time I go further, but it doesn’t get easier!" Indeed, that may be one of the biggest challenges for artists. As time passes and the public's expectations rise, some creators may sometimes get nervous when they realize it doesn't get any easier to create. Thus, the idea of having to live up to past successes can actually stifle creativity altogether. "I have had the incredible benefit of working over the last 5 creations with Ginelle Chagnon, who comes into the process as an outside eye. It’s always enlightening because my relationship to the work changes - the conversation and questions that arise have me look at myself as a creator without any protective shield - in a very naked way."
On a more technical side, we discovered Heidi enjoys incorporating video to her work. In fact, she has actually used this fusion before: "I’ve often used projection in my own work, as well as in theatre and opera productions I’ve been involved with. Of course, the voice and purpose of projection depends on what the exploration is. In elsewhere it is integrated to augment the environment, affecting and enlivening the space in different ways." And how has this enhanced her creative process? "It adds more potential to how the scenography can also be layered with a history, changing how intimate or expansive/big or small a moment, and the space can be."
And what's next for the choreographer after elsewhere is presented next week? "I’ll be heading to Europe for a professional development period, which I feel very lucky about. And when I come back, I’ll be at the Theatre Centre in Toronto where I’m a resident artist. As part of the residency, I’ve been working on a new creation with Luke Garwood [who is in elsewhere], Simon Portigal, and Naishi Wang. It has a working title of what it’s like and looks at brotherhood, manipulation, and the senses, all in a wide open room. I’m really looking forward to returning to that. And to simple things, like walking my son to school." There you have it, elsewhere is presented October 1st to the 4th, 8pm at Theatre Prospero. For more details, visit Danse-Cité's website.
http://www.danse-cite.org/en/shows/2014/elsewhere
Dancers in the show: Danielle Baskerville, Miriah Brennan, Luke Garwood, Molly Johnson and Brendan Wyatt
