The CHRYSALIS Project

chrysalis (n.): within the chrysalis, the caterpillar undergoes a remarkable transformation, or ‘metamorphosis’, to transform into the butterfly that will emerge.

CHRYSALIS is a series of six films exploring the idea that a particular kind of metamorphosis, transformation, and hope is only possible in a place of darkness. Each piece is a fusion of the media of dance, film, and classical music, featuring a piece of new choreography set to new compositions recorded by the Oxford Alternative Orchestra (OAO).

The project features the musicians of OAO in the UK, and six award-winning choreographers in locations around the world: Burkina Faso, Korea, the US, Russia, New Zealand, and the UK. Each choreographer explores unique interpretations of hope that have been illuminated by the darkness of the global pandemic we are all still experiencing. CHRYSALIS also features four new compositions from award-winning composers, as well as arrangements of two renowned classical pieces.