A choreography of light, a requiem for the eternal dying swan

“For iTernity is  still  my  favourite. Screens  catch projections  in space, telling  the  story of  how  we  use  our devices to catch data  floating around in the  cloud.” (visitor GLOW Eindhoven)

For iTernity is an audiovisual installation based on the famous ballet solo The Dying Swan. But there is no physical dancer anymore. This swan is uploaded into the ‘cloud’, where she is everywhere at once and will dance for ever. Can you catch the dance of the eternal dying swan? Try to follow her and maybe you‘ll start to dance with her.

For iTernity is inspired by the virtual world. Data is omnipresent on the internet and our profile photos never grow old. Maybe we could even say, we have finally become immortal. But we’ll always need a screen to intermediate between these physical and digital realities. And while one person can only see a fragment of reality, together we might be able to see the bigger picture.

The site-specific version For iTernity is what we call an ‘analogue augmented reality’. The dance is filmed in the space it is presented, thus eternalizing the environment. Audience/participants will recognize the background in the video’s and feel submerged in this layered reality.

The accompanying music is based on Mozarts Requiem, sung by an autotuned Californian youtube-vlogger who tells about her demise on Wikipedia. She now sings her own requiem. The music is soothing and alienating at the same time.

For iTernity can be experienced from inside – as an interactive installation – and from all around.

Inside the installation visitors will find themselves in a ‘cloud of light’, accompanied by strange yet soothing music. On the special screen they received images start to emerge, a dancing figure; the dying swan. The visitors follow the dancer. They move with the figure: up, down, left, right.  It feels like a game. In their enthusiasm they move towards eachother. They discover they can work together, create a bigger picture… Outside the installation passers-by hear music. They see people moving with screens, forming a fragmented movie. The screens move together, the images move with them. A choreography of light and images emerges.

For iTernity was presented at:
GLOW Eindhoven 2017
Festival Artdanthé 2016 & 2017 – Paris Vanves (FR)
Temp’s d’Images Tanzhaus NRW 2017 – Düsseldorf (DE)
SPRING 2016 – Utrecht (NL)
Cinedans 2016 – Amsterdam (NL)
Enchanted Parks 2015 – Newcastle (UK)
Theaterfestival Boulevard 2015 – Den Bosch (NL)

Audience-reactions

“I’ve discovered a new form of theatre!”

“Through a cloud of light I step into a place where normally only the securityemployee is doing his round. A fourvoiced woman softly sings something uncomprehenseble. Gooseflesh on my arms. I’m always lyrical about the Boulevard-shows, but this one is really genius! The mumbling opf the four-voiced woman becomes clearer. She asks a question. My answer: submerge!”

“What an idea, what an experience! Take your time. At night magical, an empty shoppingmall filled with eternal moving people. Indescribably, just go here!”

“How wonderful to work together to catch a dancers’ image. As if the participants are dancing themselves.”

“The shared experience with other visitors gave me beautiful moments. Especially the reaction of the children was a great encore. Wonder, amazement and discovery, that’s what art is about.“

Credits
Concept, choreography
Katja Heitmann

Concept, music, technical production
Sander van der Schaaf

Performance
Wies Berkhout/ Celine Werkhoven

Co-production
DansBrabant

Partners
Festival Cement, Theaterfestival Boulevard, SPRING Utrecht

Supported by
PLAN Noord-Brabant, Fonds Podiumkunsten