While sitting by the Pacific Ocean two years ago, Vancouversa国际传媒檚 Anya Saugstad got the inspiration to pen a lengthy poem revolving around a sense of urgency to act on climate change and protect the Earthsa国际传媒檚 oceans.
In that poem, she wrote the words sa国际传媒渙cean roaring,sa国际传媒� which would later serve as the title of her contemporary dance project: a live, site-specific dance and violin piece. It was first performed later that year at Kitsilano Beach and was featured as a film in the 2020 Vines Art Festival.
The 20-minute performance had only been performed on the shores of the Pacific Ocean until recently, but Saugstad and the six other women in the ensemble collaborated with the Rotary Centre for the Arts and used Kelownasa国际传媒檚 Tugboat Bay Beach as their stage on Aug. 5 and 6.
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sa国际传媒淚 wanted to draw attention to the ocean, as this scarce and vital resource,sa国际传媒� said Saugstad, a graduate of Simon Fraser University and the architect behind the piecesa国际传媒檚 choreography.
sa国际传媒淚 wanted to make a work that dueted with the ocean so that people could sit down for 20 or 30 minutes and watch not only us performing but also see the site and the environment.sa国际传媒�
Ocean Roaring features Saugstad and five artists perform a contemporary dance routine by the ocean sa国际传媒� in Kelownasa国际传媒檚 case Okanagan Lake sa国际传媒� while Cindy Kao steers the group with her violin.
sa国际传媒淭here was also this feeling of urgency sa国际传媒� being a woman whosa国际传媒檚 expected to be polite, in control, moving my body in a very certain way,sa国际传媒� said Saugstad. sa国际传媒淚 wanted the power of the ocean, the power of womanhood and our bodies sa国际传媒� that duality worked really nicely for me in my mind.sa国际传媒�
To be as environmentally conscious as possible, Saugstad employed live music for the piece, while the costumes worn are thrifted or are second-hand.
The term roaring, she said, speaks to the waves, as well as the women expressing themselves through dance.
sa国际传媒淚t feels like wesa国际传媒檙e roaring the whole time, trying to get something out and say something with our bodies,sa国际传媒� she said.
aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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