PIECE DESCRIPTION:


"LUX ETAERNA"

Choreography/concept/ costume: Karola Luttringhaus
Duet Dance: Andrea Lieske, Karola Luttringhaus
Quintet Dance: Andrea Lieske, Karola Luttringhaus, Rebecca D. Smith Millstein, Jocelyn Ladd, Alayna Stroud
Poetry: Konstantin Luttringhaus
Music composed and played by: Rhan Small, Mark Wienand, Jeff Schmitt, Cat Matlock, Kayla Matlock
Lighting design: Jonathan Christman/Karola Luttringhaus

..."give me what changes the mind what occurs in a rhyme, what dances like a candle, to see, the sea of the mind."

“Lux Etaerna”, which translates to 'eternal light', is the story of a young man's life and his struggle with schizophrenia. We follow him through scenes from his dreams, childhood memories and delusions.

"Lux Eterna" highlights some of the incredible abilities the human mind has. From personal experience, I find that people with schizophrenia have intense personal power and are extremely caught up in their own version of reality, I guess we all are. Just a differnet understanding of reality. It is so real, that you truly start to wonder if they are actually right. To me, somehow, there seems to be a profound truth that lies deep within the imagination of someone who 'denies' the “normal/common” perception of the world, but I am not sure that I can understand that, much less put it into words.”

"...so fang ich an zu sehen, kunterbuntes Farbenspiel, das nur die wenigsten verstehen." "So I start to see a hodgepodge play of colors only a few understand"

People around the young man change from good to bad, from friend to alien. Innermost thoughts are revealed. The physical body experienced. Handheld cameras serve as mirrors of the soul. "Lux Eterna" does not intend to judge, merely to explore and show some possibilities in fairness and honesty.

In “Lux Eterna” acrobatic contemporary dance fuses with aerial equipment (such as bungie cord, ropes and climbing wall hooks), with film/video and live cameras to allow the person to go where the mind wants to take him. It is based on and created around poetry by Konstantin Luttringhaus. An original musical composition by Rahn Small accompanies the dance.

"tief betroffen von den Wehen eines Selbst, bin ich stark und bereit zu empfinden."

"Lux Etaerna" = Reality is a product of our creativity.


There is much resource material online on schizophrenia. Do take a look!
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/schizoph.cfm
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/Homepages/Pahaschi/wissen.htm
http://www.schizophrenia.ca/
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter4/sec4.html
Copyright: alban elved dance company & Karola Lüttringhaus

Supported by: "Lux Eterna I" was in part comissioned by the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and premiered for the ArtsIgnite festival 2002. "Lux Eterna I" was then further developed and expanded for a cast of 5 dancers. "Lux Eterna II" was made possible through the generous and continuous support of Steve Turner and the Vintage Theatre.