​Nathan Powell

 

Dancers: 5 women. 4  men: Adrienne Kerr, Andrew Taft, Jessica Sulikowski, Danielle Troyano, Kateri Bilay, Lydia Herman, Nic Gili, Colton West, Brian Dunning

Music by: Nigel Taylor, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Andrzej Panufnik, Townes Van Zandt, Sergei Rachmaninoff 

Choreography by Nathan Powell

Costumes: Ben Weigel

Length: 15:30

Created for: Ballet Idaho’s NewDance, Up Close

Premiere: November 6, 2015 at the Esther Simplot Performing Arts Academy, Boise, ID

 

IN CON is what is inconceivable, incongruous, inconsiderate, or inconsolable in life. The witnessing of domestic abuse shocks, but nothing is done about it. Everyone turns their backs and walks away. The connection between them is still there but can never regain what it had in the past. She finally, if reluctantly, breaks away to find the control in her life. For once she is the one in charge, and just when she is beginning to accept this he returns and takes her back. Her soul cannot take it, and she gives up not without on last reminiscence of the past. In the end with her gone he realizes the error of his ways and along with the rest of the group wishes he had done something earlier.

 

This piece incorporates a unique audio-visual component with the use of the device Ototo (www.ototo.fm) To symbolize the lead female’s assent into control of her life I used this device. It has the ability to play music using the touching of any conductive surface. Bare copper wire was wound around hockey pucks and attached to the Ototo and then on to the speakers. When the dancer placed her foot on the puck, picked it up or touched any of the connecting wire a note would play. This music was being made entirely by the dancer and was variable every show.