PIECE DESCRIPTION:


"WATER III"

Choreography and concept: Karola Lüttringhaus and Yana Schnitzler
Dance: 12 dancers
Music: Karola Lüttringhaus

“WATER III” is in it's plannign stages. All information below is subject to change.

"WATER III" is a collaborative dance project between ‘alban elved dance company/KAROLA LÜTTRINGHAUS’ and ‘human kinetics movement arts. Over the course of three days this site-specific project will take place at three different outdoor locations in New York City including the fountain and sidewalks on 6th Avenue at 49th Street in Manhattan, Empire Fulton Ferry Park in DUMBO Brooklyn and Hudson River. The project will be performed in Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, NC in three locations including the ocean front, downtonw and the UNCW campus. The total duration of the performance is estimated at 60 minutes. Two performances per day will take place in each location coming to a total of 12 performances in six locations.

Philosophy: Water represents many philosophical and existential questions, emotions and fears. It is equal to serenity as well as upheaval. Water represents both life and death. There is the calming and soothing ever consistent and ever present force in water that stands in opposition to the uncertain side of its nature, representing change and forces that take one by surprise and carry one off into the unknown; whichever one it is, it invites us to completely immerse ourselves into it. Choreographically we want to show those opposites visually as well as physically. Exploring both sides of water, we create a work that juxtaposes fiercely physical outbursts with a meditative constantly evolving framework. The colors of the costumes and props reflect on the natural color-palette of the water represented, clear, whites, blues, greens and blacks. Our companies have a strong connection to water. The theme and its use are frequently an underlying motivation and a source of energy and inspiration. The name “alban elved” translates to “the light of the water”.

“WATER III” uses the given environment as a backdrop and inspiration for its actions and therefore the meaning of the work changes with variations in the emotional and visual richness or context of each location. In the densely populated areas of Manhattan the architecture creates a juxtaposition between the focused serenity of the piece and the hectic busyness of the street. In park areas “WATER III” emphasizes the meditative character of the nature surrounding the event and the harmony between body and soul.

With “WATER III” it is our goal to create a powerful emotional and visually stunning new work that will be performed to a broad range of people from all walks of life. By performing in public places we hope to reach people that would not typically come to a dance performance or performance art event. By performing at no cost to the viewer we wish to include those that can’t afford to go to the theatre. The audience is allowed to enjoy without pressure and view as long as they wish or as long as their time allows. With this project we strive to surprise people. By offering passersby a moment in time that is different from every day life, we stop them in their rush, and invite them to lose themselves in something beautiful, meditative, powerful, something out of the ordinary, and larger than us. We are inviting people to re-connect to themselves, to their environment and fellow humans on the street. “WATER III” will unite people and strengthen the understanding of our cultural identity and community through visually and creatively stimulating images and metaphors for life and flux, thereby adding to the quality of civic life. We wish to make a difference by bringing art to the streets, by highlighting the natural and man-made architectural environments and the energy between us, bringing people together as individuals sharing in the same experience.

All alban elved dance company events are always accompanied by outreach activities and additional opportunities for audiences to meet the company members, exchange ideas and receive feedback on the created works and their meaning. Workshops, school projects, master classes and audience talkbacks will be organized throughout the performance weekend and beforehand. UNC Wilmington students will have an opportunity to be part of this project in performance, to study with the choreographers and company members and to take master classes.
Time Line: Performances are scheduled for September 28th through September 30th, 2007. A rain date is scheduled for October 1st, 2007. The performances are free to the public and will be widely advertised.

Copyright: alban elved dance company & Karola Lüttringhaus & Yana Schnitzler

Supported by The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, The Academy of Dance Arts and Wanda Plemmons, Studio 'Fit & Well' (Berlin, Germany), mad duck productions Graphic Designs, O'Kelly Design Studios, Swiftwater Media