I was not a science geek in school, so no one was more surprised than me when my choreographic interests turned to science themes. Once I started on this path I unleashed the flood waters of what at this point seems an endless fascination with a myriad of science themes. Ideas come tumbling into my head and thankfully they continue to flow into my consciousness. My appetite seems voracious. My mind reaches to grasp scientific concepts and I revel in the effort, even as I struggle to understand complex principles that by a layperson’s standards seem impossible.
I gather books around me and plow through them – quantum physics, parallel universes, celestial mechanics, the brain, perception and memory, botany – all of them intriguing. I often have the thrill of meeting with scientists, questioning and discussing the themes I'm dealing with. Then comes the real challenge – how do I as an artist interpret the themes in a way that isn’t a science lesson but a work of art, that doesn’t try to spell out the science but instead offers a different perspective, one that is more often than not abstract.
Can I communicate the essence of the science through non linear, non narrative ways, through kinetic movement, through feelings and visceral experiences? I attempt to solve this puzzle with each new work that I tackle. Dance and science are scary - people shy away from them because they're afraid that they don't understand them. But if we can let all of that go, the marriage of the two has the potential to captivate the mind, senses and emotions - what could be more fulfilling?
I gather books around me and plow through them – quantum physics, parallel universes, celestial mechanics, the brain, perception and memory, botany – all of them intriguing. I often have the thrill of meeting with scientists, questioning and discussing the themes I'm dealing with. Then comes the real challenge – how do I as an artist interpret the themes in a way that isn’t a science lesson but a work of art, that doesn’t try to spell out the science but instead offers a different perspective, one that is more often than not abstract.
Can I communicate the essence of the science through non linear, non narrative ways, through kinetic movement, through feelings and visceral experiences? I attempt to solve this puzzle with each new work that I tackle. Dance and science are scary - people shy away from them because they're afraid that they don't understand them. But if we can let all of that go, the marriage of the two has the potential to captivate the mind, senses and emotions - what could be more fulfilling?
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