Catalyst Abandoned
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dancer & choreographerAllison choreographed and performed “Catalyst Abandoned” in collaboration with Cobie Kinnish, Gabriel Sinclair, Jazmyn Carter, and Thalia Livingstone, as part of their course of study at University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts, Australia during Spring 2018.
Program Note:
Title: Catalyst Abandoned
Choreographers and Performers: Allison Costa, Cobie Kinnish, Gabriel Sinclair,
Jazmyn Carter, and Thalia Livingstone
Music: Velvet by Randomer distributed by LIES096 edited by Gabriel Sinclair
The project was inspired by the art installation “The Event of a Thread” by Ann Hamilton, which intrigued us for two main reasons. First was an idea proposed by the artist who stated that her work was not art until people interacted with it. The concept of the instillation’s potential energy and its dependency on interaction is what led us to the bands we use in our dance – they too have the potential for energy (providing both resistive and spring forces), however, they can only achieve this dynamism when manipulated by people. Secondly, we appreciated that the interaction of the three main components of the instillation – i.e. the swings, pulleys, and the large sheet – all had key roles and possibility for movement individually, yet when combined created something with greater freedom. We incorporated this idea by progressing the interaction with the bands throughout our work. We begin exploring the potential for swing in our own bodies without the aid or detriment of the bands, yet still in relation to them. In this part we are much like the swings – free but still bound to a set of parameters. In the next part of the dance, we interact as free cogs within the pulley system of the bands. We demonstrate multiple configurations of our bodies, and yet with each, our movements affect all the members of our group and are restricted by the elastic pull. In the final section of our work, we are pulled outside out personal kinospheres and are able to perform steps that would be impossible without the bands. This ultimate freedom is only achieved with everyone present, and so as dancers leave the stage, the potential of our movement decreases. Ultimately, all that is left are the bands, much like the instillation after the gallery closes.
Music: Velvet by Randomer distributed by LIES096 edited by Gabriel Sinclair
The project was inspired by the art installation “The Event of a Thread” by Ann Hamilton, which intrigued us for two main reasons. First was an idea proposed by the artist who stated that her work was not art until people interacted with it. The concept of the instillation’s potential energy and its dependency on interaction is what led us to the bands we use in our dance – they too have the potential for energy (providing both resistive and spring forces), however, they can only achieve this dynamism when manipulated by people. Secondly, we appreciated that the interaction of the three main components of the instillation – i.e. the swings, pulleys, and the large sheet – all had key roles and possibility for movement individually, yet when combined created something with greater freedom. We incorporated this idea by progressing the interaction with the bands throughout our work. We begin exploring the potential for swing in our own bodies without the aid or detriment of the bands, yet still in relation to them. In this part we are much like the swings – free but still bound to a set of parameters. In the next part of the dance, we interact as free cogs within the pulley system of the bands. We demonstrate multiple configurations of our bodies, and yet with each, our movements affect all the members of our group and are restricted by the elastic pull. In the final section of our work, we are pulled outside out personal kinospheres and are able to perform steps that would be impossible without the bands. This ultimate freedom is only achieved with everyone present, and so as dancers leave the stage, the potential of our movement decreases. Ultimately, all that is left are the bands, much like the instillation after the gallery closes.
