Photo: Angus Steele-Gaffney
Kairos: The Way Of Water
Kairos: The Way of Water
Krista Tippet (On Being) has said:
“We are fluent in the story of our time marked by catastrophe and dysfunction. That is real — but it's not the whole story of us.”
At the beginning of our young century, we face immense challenges from the natural and political crises threatening our very survival. In this Kairos moment, we are called to witness and craft the new stories that will strengthen us as a society for what is ahead.
“We are going to tell you are story. Long long ago … and just yesterday…”
Kairos: The Way of Water tells one such story in which five Archetypal Beings wrestle for the future of the earth.
When Patriarchy/Capitalism resorts to manipulating and dominating all other Beings, The Planet rises in despair and icy fury. Together, these Beings known as The Planet, More Than Human Kin, The Gardener and the Hopeful Human cooperate to dissipate patriarchy/ capitalisms drive and energy. Remorse, redemption and reconciliation follow to restore balance and hope.
Cooke’s choreography swings the dancers in stark contrasts. Round and voluptuous movement grounds the wholesome relations among the Beings. The Planet and More than Human Kin trace the beginnings of the universe in mysterious ancient ice calligraphy. In times of balance, the Beings move in complex shapes and expansive pathways to support each other. But as the linear measuring tendencies of Patriarchy/Capitalism expand and dominate the space and all other Beings, choreography becomes angular, sharp, mean-spirited until round expansive and supportive movement prevail and restore balance once again.
The original sound design of Angus Steele- Gaffney grounds the Kairos Beings in this world of contrasts: airy, ethereal sounds invite the audience to the mysteries of the beginning of the Universe; peaceful harmonies support balance among the Beings; threatening discords arise as Patriarchy/Capitalism expands and dominates; sounds of mourning herald The Planet’s despair and anger; waves of water are followed by haunting voices of remorse and redemption and finally reconciliation.
Kairos: The Way of Water offers audiences an immersive experience to inspire hope and agency for this critical moment.
Constance Cooke
Photo: Angus Steele-Gaffney
Project Created by: Constance Cooke
Key Artistic Collaborators:
Dance Artists: Allison Brooks, Elya Grant, Kayla Henry, Sarah Hutton, Veronique Emmett Composer: Angus Steele-Gaffney
Dramaturge: Pamela MillarLighting Design: Hugh Conacher
Costume Design: Odessa Bennett
Videographer: Melissa Flagg
Stage Manager: Kiera Shaw
Early contributors during research: Lorenzo Santos, Kendra Penner and Mark Medrano, Gil Hedley.
Performance type: This work is built for a theatre, This work is adaptable to theatre, outdoor or alternative spaces. Mixed-Program.
How do you define this work: Dance/Theatre, Accessible Environmental Performance Work. Suitable for general audience, and senior public, secondarily and post-secondary school audiences.
Length of performance: 40 min piece with 20 min artsits and audience talk back. 60 minutes.
Audience type: General Audience
General Technical Requirements: This work is adaptable to a variety of performance spaces.
For theatre spaces we require a dance floor, basic stage lighting, stage curtains across back performance space preferably on sliding track.
For alternative performance spaces: we can be flexible and creative, especially as sections of this work were built specifically to respond to the environment in which the work is being performed. * see curtains in original version. Also, as you will read below in this application, we recently adapted Kairos for an outdoor festival.
Does the work require tech residency: Yes this would be fantastic but not essential. Kairos: The Way of Water is adaptable to different types of spaces, and we relish the opportunity and time to re- work sections of the piece to respond to the performance space and what is unique to that space, this would make way for work that feels fresh, essential and true for both the audience and the performers. As you will see in the video material, we use the stage curtains to measure space and manipulate the performers and the space. We are excited to work with the uniqueness of new performance spaces.
Number of Performers on tour (including choreographer): 6
Number of Support Staff on Tour: 1 or 2
Availabilities: 2024/25 season, & 2025/26 season
Constance Cooke is queer/ lesbian Canadian dance artist based in Victoria BC since 1997. Her choreography includes works for stage, dance on film, and site-specific work; she is an educator of contemporary dance, screendance and somatic movement; a mentor and curator. Cooke’s work has been presented in Canada, The United States, Mexico and Europe.
In British Columbia her work has been presented numerous times by Dancing on The Edge, Crimson Coast Dance, Romp- Suddenly Dance Theatre, and Dance Victoria. Cooke has been commissioned to create work for The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Ballet Victoria, Intrepid Theatre, Kaleidoscope Theatre and more. Her work has been presented at the Firehall Arts Centre, The Roundhouse and The Cultch in Vancouver, The Port Theatre in Nanaimo and the Royal and McPherson Theatres in Victoria. Throughout her career Cooke has created over 60 professional works, including 10 self-produced full-length works.
Her most recent work "Kairos: The Way of Water" premiered in the Spring of 2023 at the Dance Victoria Studio Theatre on a shared program with Noble Riot Dance. All three shows sold out, and Cooke's work received standing ovations nightly.
Cooke has been the recipient of numerous awards, scholarships and grants from The Canada Council of the Arts, B.C. Arts Council, The Manitoba Arts Council, The Vancouver Foundation, B.C. Hydro, Dance Victoria, Private Supporters and more. She lives, creates, and works on the unceded Coast Salish Territory of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ Nations, in Victoria B.C.
Performance History & Upcoming Performances
July 17-20, 2023
Mini Re-Commission by Friends of Bowker Creek: to reimagine and re-create an outdoor public performance based on Kairos: The Way of Water.
July 21, 2023
Presenter: Bowker Creek Society for Creekside Festival Concert.
Venue: Outdoors- Bowker Creek Walkway
Location: Victoria B.C.
Re-worked the original 40 min piece with two performers, included new set of large melting ice blocks and revised score. This festival was pedal powered.
May 26 & 27, 2023
Premiere: Kairos: The Way of Water (40 min) for three performances on KIN (mixed program)
Presented by Dance Victoria and Noble Riot Dance Theatre
Venue: Dance Victoria studio Theatre.
Location: Victoria B.C.
Throughout my career my work has been presented and screened at numerous festivals, theatres and outdoor venues, including cross Canada tours with the Fringe Festival. Recent works including Brace 4, Liminal, I be Caribou, Close 4-ever walking were presented by Dancing On The Edge, Dance Victoria, Crimson Coast Dance, Educafin program with the State Government of Guanajuato, and Urbanite with the Greater Victoria Art Gallery.
Project Details
Community Engagement
We are very interested to offer outreach activities; it is why we made this work.
We are interested to offer an art and movement workshop, movement classes that work with the way of water, talk back sessions after performances of Kairos, and a call out to the community to create their own folx dance based on emerging archetypes needed as we move into 21st century.
Fees would range depending on the scale of the activities.
1. $0.00 for talk back sessions
2. $250 for Movement workshop investigating the Ways of Water.
3. $300- $500 for Art and Movement workshop depending on # of artists leading workshop.
4. $500-$800 for the building and creation of a community folx dance depending on number of participants and leading artists.
For the Art and Movement Workshop as outlined above, we would like to connect with folx from your community interested in expressing themselves through movement and visual arts. These participants would work with some of the dancers from Kairos and ideally one or two visual artists from your community working in the mediums of collage, painting, drawing.
The theme of the workshop is emerging archetypes for moving into the 21st century with hope and agency.
Contact information
Constance Cooke, constancecooke@shaw.ca
Website: constancecooke.com ( currently being updated)