Project: Bodies in Sound
MONOM Studios, Funkhaus
Where
When
Q1 2025
Duration
Three performances (Friday-Sunday) over the course of two weekends - February 7th, 8th, 9th & February 14th, 15th & 16th, 2025
We are a collective of professionally trained ballet dancers and choreographers who have worked extensively for renowned ballet companies and theaters throughout the US, Europe, and Russia. Our aim with this project is to create a performance where dance and the auditory experience take center stage.
Planned are three performances, over the course of two weekends, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They will take place over the course of two weekends in February 2025 (7th-9th & 14th-16th). The planned location for the project is Funkhaus Berlin, which is home to a 4D sound system at MONOM Studios, the world's most advanced spatial sound instrument. The evening is comprised of two performance pieces, each highlighting different genres of both music and dance.
In the same way the 4D sound system will feel all encompassing, so too will the performance of the dancers replicate this model. The dance performances will not take place in one sectioned-off performance space, but rather will be dispersed throughout the space, allowing for audience members to engage with the performance on an interpersonal level.
The evening is comprised of two dance performances
The first piece is a solo by “placeholder for name” in accompaniment with Cevdet Erek, a Turkish installation artist and sound designer who has done extensive work in the area of sound installations and progressive sound treatments. He will perform a live piece incorporating primarily percussion based instruments.
The second half is a perfomance by Ballet Sur_real, a collective of professional ballet dancers, who's main focus lies in fusing ballet with techno music. Currently six ballet dancers and one DJ are planned for the piece, with the dj rotating each weekend. Motion capture will be integrated for the dancers to wear, enabling them to influence the sound of the music with their movements. In this way, the dancers will be co-composing the sound as they dance. Currently Dasha Rush, Ben Klock, and Marcel Dettman are interested in working with us for this production.
Images
Artists
Choreographer: Renato De Leon & Soraya Schulthess
Dancers Ballet Sur_real: Renato De Leon, Micheal Beliov, Imogen Rose Walters, Molly Rumble, Dan Ozeri, Soraya Schulthess
Sound Design: Dasha Rush, Ben Klock, and Cevdet Erek
Photographer: Sebastian Donath
Timeline
February 2025
Performance Evening
The evening consists of two main dance performances “working title of piece #1" & "Ballet Sur_real”, including an intro beforehand and outro to conclude.
19:00 Intro
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The audience enters the space, ambient music playing in the background, highlighting the more sensory aspect of sound (haptic/tactile). This allows for the audience both time to settle in and find their places, and serves as an introduction to the state-of-the-art sound system. The DJ playing for Ballet Sur’real or a member of the organizational team can compile tracks that would fit.
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Before the first piece begins, a member from the team will come onstage to explain the concept and creation process behind the evening, as well as a short intro of the artists performing. This should last no more than 5 minutes.
19:30 “placeholder for piece #1 title”
Piece #1 is performed.
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Percussive based music, with one contemporary dancer.
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The piece begins very slowly, the audience almost completely in the dark, so as to place focus on the auditory experience.
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Using the 4D sound system, the sound will come from all sides, creating a completely immersive experience.
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Slowly the dancer enters and performs.
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The duration of the piece will be 25 min from beginning to end.
19:55 Break, 15 minutes
20:10 “Ballet Sur_real”
Piece #2 is performed
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Ballet Sur_real performs. The piece is 45 -50 min in total. 5-7 min intro, followed by 35-40 min of dancing. LED life size lighting systems as well as the motion capture will be introduced. The life size LED panels will be used to replicate the movements of the dancers at important junctures in the piece, underscoring the immersive component of this production.
21:00 Outro
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Performance ends, music will continue to play for another hour, allowing audience members to stay and have a drink.