Inferno

Premiere: 1995
Choreography: Bill James
Music: Chiyoko Szlavnics
Set Design: Cylla Von Tiedemann
Lighting Design: David Morrison

Performers:
Ken Cunningham, David Gonzales, Mark Johnson, Eddie Kastrau and Yvonne Ng

About

The element of fire inspired the dance vocabulary and the choreographic/scenic design based on the geography and architecture of Dante's Inferno. The emotional texture of the work was derived from more personal experiences. This Inferno took the structure of Dante's, but in reverse so that the metaphor was a backward ascent from the deepest parts of hell.

The element of fire inspired the dance vocabulary and the choreographic/scenic design based on the geography and architecture of Dante's Inferno. The emotional texture of the work was derived from more personal experiences. This Inferno took the structure of Dante's, but in reverse so that the metaphor was a backward ascent from the deepest parts of hell.

The set was focused within the 30-foot high, narrow central axis of the building. Along this axis a 60-feet long by 16-feet wide raised, sprung floor was constructed and covered with canvas, which was then painted to resemble a charred surface. This sprung platform allowed the choreography to explore larger movement dynamics in space and from the floor. The choreography was also designed to be seen from any of three sides, as the audience could choose where in the space to sit. The experience of watching the dance from the two long sides and from the front was different, one view being more intimate, the long view being just that. The floor was also hollow and acted as a large drum, which was utilized by both myself and by the composer Chiyoko Szlavnics. In one particular section, a solo for dancer David Gonzales, there were mikes activated under the floor to accentuate this effect even more.

The score was written as the dance was being created and there was a strong alliance between the two. The live score with Chiyoko Szlavnics playing saxophones and flute, percussionist Mark Duggan at times assisted by Mark Johnson, also contained synthesized and sampled sounds. The music was played in various areas of the space at times and also sometimes the players interacted with the dancers, the others who were Ken Cunningham, Yvonne Ng and Eddie Kastrau.

The visuals created by Cylla Von Tiedemann were mostly rear-projected onto a 6 x 9 foot screen at the far end of the space. There were also projections onto the floor and in one scene on the outside walls. Cylla created images that were nearly in constant motion and that were projected during about 50 minutes of the 80 minute performance. The images were created on 3-D software from photographic CD and were run by a computer program that was set-up as a donation from a media company, Invisible Media.

The literal use of fire through fire-breathing, fire massage, fireworks, smoke and torches along with rich imagery and dynamic movement in an underworld environment gives the audience a kind of mystical spectacle.

Quotes

" ...thought provoking, sensual dance theatre with multiple layers of imagery and metaphor"
Eye Weekly