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ARTIST BIO // COSTUME DESIGN + PERFORMANCE // ILLUSTRATION // OTHER
RUSALKI (2009 - 2011)
Rusalki is an exploration of the psychological transformation of space through movement, costume, and audience engagement. The piece is inspired by the Eastern European myth of female water spirits (русалки), trapped between two realms, who lure mortal men to their death in hopes of satiating an eternal desire to dance.
The choreography for Rusalki evolved out of five costume designs that were devised in collaboration with each individual dancer. Blending together elements of contact improvisation, ritual, ballet, butoh, and aerial arts, the movements were choreographed as an extension of the fabric itself, and were directly shaped by the constrictions and idiosyncrasies of the garments on the dancers’ bodies. The costume designs for Rusalki were featured at the 2013 World Stage Design festival in Cardiff, where they were shortlisted among the top three in the Costume Design category.
Many thanks to Flam Chen Pyrotechnic Theater for their mentorship and assistance on this project. Other project collaborators include: Aurelia Cohen, Maria Thomas, Katherine Tesch, Lia Griesser, Kelly Clark, and Adam Cooper-Terán.
Rigging: Paul Weir
Photography by Noah Huber and Nika Kaiser
Rusalki was performed 2009-2011 in a variety of settings throughout the West Coast of the United Sates, including: fields, public city squares, abandoned factories, forests, ghost towns, warehouses, art galleries, and once, a theater.
Video: Adam Cooper-Terán
