AEROWAVES Twenty20
The Ephemeral life of an octopus - 2019
"There is the ancient, religious idea that man is the unhappy combination of beast and god: if only we were divine, we would be liberated, immortal spirit; if only we were beast, we could be content in our instinctive ignorance."
The Human and the octopus, by Thomas Stern. Link to essay here
The Ephemeral Life of an Octopus is absurd and grotesque, playful and liberating. It questions the strangeness of having a body: healthy and vigorous, suffering and damaged, punctured and probed, wild and animalistic.
Based on the choreographer's personal experience of ovarian cancer, the piece is inspired by studies of the evolution of cancer cells and the lived experience of illness. At once scientific, philosophical and visceral, the piece looks at the dysfunction, chaos and vibrant life force of the body from within and without.
Beyond the research of cellular dysfunction, the work interrogates behavioral, social and political dysfunctions. It observes the invisible movements of living units, whose ability to move and reproduce, greatly impacts the whole they are a part of.
More broadly, the piece explores the curse it might be to have a consciousness.
The Ephemeral life of an Octopus is one of the Twenty20 projects, selected by the Aerowaves partners.
Choreographer / Director: Léa Tirabasso
Project Manager: Mathis Junet
Associate Producer: Hattie Gregory
Dancers: Rosie Terry Toogood, Catarina Barbosa, Joachim Maudet, Alistair Goldsmith
Composer: Martin Durov
Lighting Designer: Nicolas Tremblay
Scientific Advisor: Adeola Olaitan
Scientific Advisor: François Eisinger
Philosophy Advisor: Thomas Stern
Animal Transformation Coach: Gabrielle Moleta
"There is the ancient, religious idea that man is the unhappy combination of beast and god: if only we were divine, we would be liberated, immortal spirit; if only we were beast, we could be content in our instinctive ignorance."
The Human and the octopus, by Thomas Stern. Link to essay here
The Ephemeral Life of an Octopus is absurd and grotesque, playful and liberating. It questions the strangeness of having a body: healthy and vigorous, suffering and damaged, punctured and probed, wild and animalistic.
Based on the choreographer's personal experience of ovarian cancer, the piece is inspired by studies of the evolution of cancer cells and the lived experience of illness. At once scientific, philosophical and visceral, the piece looks at the dysfunction, chaos and vibrant life force of the body from within and without.
Beyond the research of cellular dysfunction, the work interrogates behavioral, social and political dysfunctions. It observes the invisible movements of living units, whose ability to move and reproduce, greatly impacts the whole they are a part of.
More broadly, the piece explores the curse it might be to have a consciousness.
The Ephemeral life of an Octopus is one of the Twenty20 projects, selected by the Aerowaves partners.
Choreographer / Director: Léa Tirabasso
Project Manager: Mathis Junet
Associate Producer: Hattie Gregory
Dancers: Rosie Terry Toogood, Catarina Barbosa, Joachim Maudet, Alistair Goldsmith
Composer: Martin Durov
Lighting Designer: Nicolas Tremblay
Scientific Advisor: Adeola Olaitan
Scientific Advisor: François Eisinger
Philosophy Advisor: Thomas Stern
Animal Transformation Coach: Gabrielle Moleta
Past performances
Friday 8th February 2019, Kinneksbond, Mamer (LU) + info +
Thursday 28th February 2019, DanceXchange, Birmingham (UK) + info +
Saturday 2nd March 2019, The Place, London (UK) + info +
Saturday 9th March 2019, Riley Theatre, Leeds (UK) + info +
Saturday 16th March 2019, KLAP, Maison pour la danse, Marseille (FR) + info +
Friday 29th November 2019, La Rampe Echirolles (FR)
Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th January 2020, Banannefabrik (LU)
Past Contextual events
Thursday 21st September 2017, 7pm - The Wellcome Collection, London
Conversation: Gynaeco-oncology, Philosophy and Dance. Can Science and Philosophy inform the making of a dance piece?
With Adeola Olaitan (Consultant Gynaeco-Oncologist, clinical lead of the Gynaecological Cancer Centre at UCLH), Thomas Stern (Philosophy Senior Lecturer at UCL) and Léa Tirabasso (Choreographer).
Thursday 28th September 2017, 7pm - The Wellcome Collection, London
Lecture: Disgust, Disease, Body - Illness
Led by Thomas Stern (Philosophy Senior Lecturer UCL) followed by a facilitated discussion.
THURS 27/09/18 - 7pm - The Wellcome Collection, Reading Room
The 5 Types of Gyaecologocial Cancers
Discussion led by Adeola Olaitan (Consultant Gynaeco-Oncologist, clinical lead of the Gynaecological Cancer Centre at UCLH)
THURS 06/12/18 - 7pm - The Wellcome Collection, Reading Room
The Human and the Octopus
Discussion led by Thomas Stern (Philosophy Senior Lecturer at UCL) (based on his essay)
FRI 01/03/18 - 4pm - The Wellcome Collection, Reading Room
The representation of Cancer in the Arts
Discussion led by Artist Brian Lobel
Performance Pictures: Bohumil Kostohryz (February 2019)
R&D Pictures: Danilo Moroni (Sept 2017)
R&D Pictures: Danilo Moroni (Sept 2017)
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#teaser2
By Bohumil Kostohryz |
#teaser1
In collaboration with, and by Danilo Moroni |
About The Ephemeral life of an octopus, by Rosie Terry Toogood
Video by Bohumil Kostohryz
Video by Bohumil Kostohryz
SUPPORTS
Co-produced by
Kinneskbond, Mamer (LU)
KLAP, Maison pour la danse, Marseille (FR)
Commissioned by
The Place London (UK)
DanceXchange Birmingham (UK)
NSCD Leeds (UK)
Supported by
GFTA, Arts Council England (UK)
Choreodrome, Touch Wood via The Place London (UK)
TROIS C-L, Centre de Création Luxembourgeois (LU)
Dance-City, Newcastle (UK)
South East Dance (UK)
Special thanks to Charity Eve Appeal (UK)
Fondation Indépendance (LU)
Special thanks to the Wellcome Collection, Cancer Research UK and Eve Appeal.
Touring & international development
La Magnanerie
MAG.I.C MAGnanerie International Cooperation
Victor Leclère
0033 (0)1 43 36 37 12
[email protected]
www.magnanerie-spectacle.com
Kinneskbond, Mamer (LU)
KLAP, Maison pour la danse, Marseille (FR)
Commissioned by
The Place London (UK)
DanceXchange Birmingham (UK)
NSCD Leeds (UK)
Supported by
GFTA, Arts Council England (UK)
Choreodrome, Touch Wood via The Place London (UK)
TROIS C-L, Centre de Création Luxembourgeois (LU)
Dance-City, Newcastle (UK)
South East Dance (UK)
Special thanks to Charity Eve Appeal (UK)
Fondation Indépendance (LU)
Special thanks to the Wellcome Collection, Cancer Research UK and Eve Appeal.
Touring & international development
La Magnanerie
MAG.I.C MAGnanerie International Cooperation
Victor Leclère
0033 (0)1 43 36 37 12
[email protected]
www.magnanerie-spectacle.com
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