Des Corps / Of Bodies
Sapphonix Collective
Louis Stein, projection mapping and visuals
The Calm before the Storm
Banquet Celeste Olivier Messiaen
Glass Hania Rani
Cantus in Memorium Benjamin Britten Arvo Pärt arr. Esther-Ruth Teel
Dialogue on a Caribbean Lullaby Maria Gajraj and Emmanuel Lacopo
The Storm
Offrande et Alleluia Olivier Messiaen
Ave Maris Stella chant and final (Dialogue sur les Grands Jeux) Nicolas de Grigny
The Sun
streaming upward on its heavenly oils Esther-Ruth Teel
Sun Hania Rani
Desseins Eternels Olivier Messiaen Evening Song Philip Glass
The Calm Before the Storm
Our program begins with footage of two queer bodies in a dry autumn forest. These opening images and the accompanying sounds portray tenderness, queer love, the static peace of being partnered, and queer bodies existing in the wilderness, apart from the pressures of societal norms. The music reflects the tenderness and static peace of the projected scene.
The Storm
The next section contains more active footage: waves crashing, a solitary figure in a snow storm, a single dancer in an alley; this represents the tumultuousness of the sapphic experience, the discordance of existing in a queer body in a society that is structured against us; the fearlessness of queer bodies to continue to dance and flourish despite the elements (societal or otherwise)
The Sun
The closing section returns to peaceful music and visuals. The storm has passed, the sun shines once more. We see a singular body walking into the ocean, alone but at peace. This final segment symbolizes passing through the turbulence of self-doubt, ignoring the pressure to conform, and rejoicing in one’s personhood: a queer body simply existing within a larger body of water, without having to explain or defend oneself.