Time Lapse Dance performance of "Ice Cycle"

part of the Climate Cultures Symposium
May 4, 2016 - 8:00pm
Old Cabell Hall
Free, but Tickets Required

New York based Time Lapse Dance performs Ice Cycle live during Climate Cultures at the University of Virginia. Expressing the fragility and dynamism of the Arctic icescape, Ice Cycle was inspired by choreographer Jody Sperling's journey to the Chukchi Sea and her experience dancing on polar sea ice. Alaskan-born composer Matthew Burtner, a specialist in the music of snow and ice, collaborated to create an original score for Sperling's choreography.

CHOREOGRAPHY: Jody Sperling, in collaboration with the dancers
ORIGINAL MUSIC: Matthew Burtner
COSTUMES: Mary Jo Mecca 
LIGHTING: David Ferri
DRAMATURGE: Pele Bausch
PROJECTION DESIGN: Matthew Haber & Chelsie McPhilimy
DANCERS: Krissy Tate, Halley Gerstel, Jenny Campbell, Alejandra Dominguez, Carly Cerasuolo, Kacey Katzenmeyer

Sea ice is endangered by anthropogenic climate change. The Arctic has already lost 80% of its mass, and models predict that by 2040 the Arctic Ocean will be largely ice-free during the summer months. Ice Cycle transports the dynamism and fragility of sea ice to the stage as a multimedia artwork for dance, music, costume, video and light. The porous structure of sea ice, mathematically resembling human bone, undergoes radical transformations throughout the year. The expansive and austere sea ice environment also contains dramatic floes that fracture and collide creating fierce dynamism. The dance and music draw on this energy, mapping environmental cycles into human art.

In 2014 Jody Sperling accompanied a 43-day scientific expedition to the Chukchi Sea, north of the Bering Strait. During the journey, she had the opportunity to dance at a dozen ice deployments. Her trip is the subject of an award-winning film, "Ice Floe". Alaskan-born composer Matthew Burtner lived in the arctic as a child and his award-winning compositions often feature sounds and sonifications of climate change. A pioneer in the field of eco-acoustics, Burtner has done extensive field recordings in the Arctic. The costumes, created by designer Mary Jo Mecca, form mobile screens for projections of ice imagery orchestrated by projection designer Matthew Haber. David Ferri designed the lighting. Pele Bauch acted as dramaturge for the project. Time Lapse Dance features dancers Krissy Tate, Halley Gerstel, Jenny Campbell, Alejandra Dominguez, Carly Cerasuolo, Kacey Katzenmeyer

Presented by the Climate Cultures Symposium, Environmental Humanities, and the McIntire Department of Music.

Address

UVA Department of Music
112 Old Cabell Hall
P.O. Box 400176 Charlottesville, VA 22904-4176

Email: music@virginia.edu