The Reverberations of Location in SCA’s In The Meantime

 

Taken from SFU Dance Instagram

  https://www.instagram.com/sfudance/

We, as a society are accustomed to viewing art in certain and specific ways. We observe fine paintings in art galleries; we listen to our favourite band in a large stadium; and we watch beautiful dancers move on a stage in a sizeable theatre. Having the exhibition SCA’s In The Meantime premiere during a pandemic, inevitably had various pieces that include themes of darkness, appreciation, and uncertainty. Even though the artists had to create during a global pandemic, the productions were undoubtedly, and inevitably different. The dance department at Vancouver’s Simon Fraser University has been showcasing its talented dancers through various exhibitions ever since they began the program many years ago. One of their shows is completely student run, and performed every spring semester as a MainStage production. On February 13th and 14th, I had the pleasure of viewing this year’s In The Meantime. The virtual two-part show consisted of 16 pieces, and was broadcasted/live-streamed through Vimeo. Through multiple examples of various dance pieces, this essay will explore, and examine the idea of the power of a location, or an environment on a dance performance, while also considering the limitations of creating during a pandemic. While many of the pieces encompassed movement that could be performed on a stage, the show’s locations and environment, outside of the traditional dance theatre exhibition setting, influenced their gestures and overall theme, proving how these artists have embraced creating during such unprecedented times. 

Dance is an art form in which the body is used as a tool to display expression. When showcasing this art, it is usually encompassed by a set or display, varying on levels of extravaganza. When adding another layer such as a unique environment that is not able to be replicated in a theatre, the piece becomes irreplaceable. An excellent example of a piece that showcased this on a grand scale in In The Meantime was a piece created by Roya Pishvaei, Mikela Vuorensivu, and Andrea Isea, titled The Sun, The Moon, and The Star. The movement created by these three artists was beautiful and fluid. Circular motions, specifically with their limbs and torso, were the main focus, and most repeated movements. At one point, the three dancers were on screen placed on top of three medium sized boulders, almost like podiums, peeking through the river. They used motions of counter balance to trick the audience into thinking they might fall in. This projected a feeling of suspense, and possibly shameless excitement. However, what made this piece mesmerizing was the location in which they chose to immerse themselves. They were surrounded with entities of the natural elements. Being encompassed by nature’s glorious creations such as glacial mountains flowing into a shallow brisk river, enclosed by multiple forms of greenery, created an alluring backdrop. Starting from the bottom, they plunged themselves into shallow glacial water while playing and experimenting. This projects the message that the water is part of us, all around us, but precious at the same time. Lastly, the astonishing mountains framing the dancers throughout the piece pulled the scene together. The varying amounts of freshly fallen snow on top of each of the mountain peaks, showcased how art is not required to be perfectly equal to show beauty. The location conveyed the theme, and the importance of appreciating the beauty of the natural elements on the planet as a whole. The piece would likely not have had the same effect if a different location had been chosen. 

Using one’s state of mind with one’s current predicament or struggles, can be an excellent driving force in the creation of art. In SCA’s In The Meantime, the artist Camryn Frisk created a piece entitled rapid.eye.movement. The piece appeared in black and white, and interchanged between dark places filled with disarray, mainly during the night. At one point, Frisk encircled herself in an untidy bed with multiple pieces of clothing, and linens that were unfolded and seemed to have no sense of order. This piece appeared to convey a message of unpredictability, disorder, and doubt. Since the choreographer chose to exclude any colours, keeping a black and white theme, followed by a grainy filter to the film, forced the viewer to result to a feeling of eeriness. Sometimes, the footage was so dimmed, you were not sure exactly what was happening on screen. These images projected themes of chaos, paralleling the world’s reaction to a global pandemic. I believe that it is up to the audience to decipher the themes that shine through in the performance. The same art can mean different things to different people dependant on their life experiences, which inevitably creates various takeaways from each audience member. 

The set or background to a dance piece can speak to the meaning of the art form, on occasion prior to the movement of the dancers, proving that the location or setting can sway one’s idea of what the art is trying to depict. The piece Scrub danced and choreographed by Nicole Dreher, Sarah Kennedy, and Roya Pishvaei, that was displayed in SCA’s In The Meantime was successful with the correct choice of location, to convey the themes and overall message. Their piece took place strictly in the dancers’ respective showers. The showers, naturally varied in size from dancer to dancer. The tiles along the wall had different textures. Some were flat and shiny, while others were rigid with a matte finish. Lastly, one shower had a light yellow tinge to the tiles conveying a dingier aura, while the others had bright white tiles that projected a beaming essence. Having the chosen location as a shower, showcased the feeling that this was a nod to a familiar location for everyone. The creators chose to show the audience their own showers, not just one, proving this environment is a place a lot of us can go, and hopefully feel safe, alone, or peaceful. Through the course of the piece, the dancers portrayed a sense of community and appreciation for the time in the shower. They were playing with the theme of physically, and metaphorically washing away the day. Not only scrubbing off the dirt we literally see on our body, but perhaps also scrubbing away the debris in our minds:  washing away our troubles. 

While several of the productions included dancing that could have been showcased in a theatre,  many of the performance environments impacted their movement and overall message, which would not have been able to be portrayed on a stage, demonstrating how the creators have adapted their art during a global pandemic. The movement of a dancer is a huge aspect to a dance piece. The set, however, can impact the audience’s interpretation of the art as well. Since the creators of the pieces in SCA’s In The Meantime had a unique opportunity to present these works throughout film, their possibilities of location were almost endless. The piece Scrub, danced and choreographed by Nicole Dreher, Sarah Kennedy, and Roya Pishvaei; The Sun, The Moon, and The Star created by Roya Pishvaei, Mikela Vuorensivu, and Andrea Isea; and rapid.eye.movement, created by Camryn Frisk, all used their location as one of the tools to convey the representation of their art. As devastating, and impactful as the COVID-19 global pandemic has been, I believe these artists made the best of a challenging situation. They came to the realization that this is a unique opportunity to create pieces with extraordinary locations, and used this difficult time to their advantage by creating pieces they may have never thought to create. I hope we continue to produce more dance presentations in this format, even after the pandemic, to open up different outlets of creativity, with the chance of watching art in various influential, and phenomenal settings.

Work Cited

“In The Meantime.” Vimeo, Simon Fraser University's School for The Contemporary Arts, 13-14 Feb. 2021.