"We Bear Each Other's Tears" - Modern ballet choreography - Arlys Alford

"We Bear Each Other's Tears" is a work-in-progress. The first three movements are shown here, with two more to complete the 17-minute modern ballet composition which revolves around a community in which no one grieves alone and experimenting with what that looks like, and feels like in movement. What does it look like when we take someone's tears and pour them over ourselves, sharing their anguish? This piece seemed to impregnate itself in me suddenly. I hadn't choreographed anything in years and didn't think I had the itch - but it created itself after I viewed "Ashes and Snow", and was profoundly moved by the music. I had no choice but to choreograph this piece, really. Also, I have never in my life written 5 pages of a backstory that is for the dancer's eyes only, but I think makes the difference in how they move in it. I also give each dancer a 'secret" that is only for them to hear. Secrets which I hoped would make the dance more personal. Perhaps even get the dancers to stop 'dancing' so much and feel the movements to the point the movement takes over.

Music from the "Ashes and Snow" project soundtrack, copyright 2005 / Inaudible Records - Gregory Colbert, Pietro Scalia producers.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Modern ballet
• Arlys Alford
• Ilona Pociunas
• Elizabeth Uhler
• Crystal Walker
• James David Keene
• Sebastian Heil
• Alexei Gerulaitis
• modern dance
• ashes and snow