“to get there from here is absolutely sublime. The dance is nostalgic, communal, loving, painful, expertly crafted and hands down my favorite work fo the festival.”

Art Intercepts

Excerpt Video

ABOUT

A choreographic investigation on mapping memories, unfixed, in and through the body. The trio reflect on the allure and impossibility of destination through mixed media by stitching together panoramic videos, movement, and objects to animate the tension of never quite arriving while being propelled forward. Their process charts physical and emotional landscapes enlivened by auto-ethnographic research where they negotiate inscribed pasts: Maria traces the erasure and restoration of her Mexican lineage, Nguyễn navigates unfamiliar terrains as a Vietnamese refugee in the U.S., and Kevin wrestles with homophobia and mental health. 

BACKGROUND

As longtime collaborators, separated by distance, the trio brought a virtual collaboration established during the pandemic into a tangible one in 2022.  The embodied research incorporated films they had made alone and together traversing harsh terrain and reconstructing memories from the past. Together, they created a four wall multi-media installation of the video with surreal structural elements and devised the new evening length dance with themes of reunion, transformation, and resilience. 

The installation premiered at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery at Scripps College with subsequent tours at venues throughout the U.S. including the Breaking Ground Festival in Tempe, AZ; RADFest in Kalamazoo, MI; and Daync Academy in Milwaukee WI.  The evening length dance is modular and ready to be shared at traditional theaters and non-conventional spaces and galleries. The installation is also available for exhibition. 

PREVIEW

Scripps Trailer: https://vimeo.com/757025750

Breaking Ground Trailer: https://vimeo.com/onidance/breakinground

Excerpt 20-minute version of performance: https://vimeo.com/798208467

REVIEWS

Artillery Magazine: https://artillerymag.com/to-get-there-from-here/

Arts Intercepts: https://www.artintercepts.org/2023/03/12/final-rad-fest-late-show-saves-the-best-for-last/

The Friday Five Blog: https://www.thefridayfive.net/blog/were-off

The Shepherd Express: https://shepherdexpress.com/culture/dance/trio-to-get-there-from-here-live-in-milwaukee/

PARTNERS/SUPPORT

Foundation for Contemporary Arts, The Claremont College’s Marian and Charles Holmes Performing Arts Fund, Scripps Faculty Research Grant, UWM Peck School of the Arts, UWM Department of Dance, and the UWM Office of Research.