FakeKnot
whip
Photo credits: Marchel B. Eang
FakeKnot
FakeKnot creates inclusive performance works that strive to understand the complexities of identity and culture through costume, sound, technology and the body. Artistic Director Ralph Escamillan gathers his breadth of experience as a dancer from street, commercial and contemporary dance to create a truly unique choreographic perspective, while also questioning his identity as a queer person of color. FakeKnot’s work focuses on a highly collaborative process. Past collaborators include New Media Artists Sammy Chien, Nancy Lee and Milton Lim, Sound Designer Stefan Seslija, and local brands such as Lululemon Lab and Five Left Leather. The drive to pursue collaborative work stems from Ralph’s interest in establishing connections between and within the intersecting worlds he comes from, using his work in FakeKnot as the vessel for this discourse.
whip
'whip' is a duet performed entirely in leather hoods, leaving the dancers blind for the duration of the performance. Inspired by the virtuosic head-whip motion found in a multitude of dance forms, the duality of the leather being both soft and hard are revealed through the work. New ways to use the body as a medium for communication are explored, visually enhanced through the incorporation of interactive new media lighting and originally composed sound design. The circling of the head creates a trance-like state in both the performer and the audience. By covering the faces of the performers their identities are concealed, and this anonymity seeks to make the audience both uncomfortable and committed to the performers throughout the work. The piece references varied forms of touch — from the mundane to the extreme — tapping into the nuance of these connection points; illuminating new meaning.
Photo credits: Marchel B. Eang
Performance History of whip
HINKYPUNK: Arts Court, Ottawa - September 23-24, 2021; Masonic Temple, St. John’s - September 8, 2021
whip: MAI, Montreal - premiere - November 3-6, 2021
BLUSCRN: LUNA Festival, Revelstoke - premiere - September 2022
Project Details
Project created by: FakeKnot
Key Collaborators: Artistic Direction/Choreography - Ralph Escamillan (FakeKnot)
Dancers - Daria Mikhaylyuk, Ralph Escamillan
Leather Hoods - Five Left Leather (Lincoln Heller)
Costumes - Robyn J. Laxamana
Sound - Stefan Nazarevich
Lighting Designer & Live Operator: Andie Lloyd
Motion Tracking System & New Media Design: Sammy Chien (Chimerik 似不像 Collective)
Lighting Design Mentor: Jonathan Kim (Chimerik 似不像 Collective)
Dramaturge - Su-Feh Lee and Josh Martin
Fabric Sponsor - Lululemon
Audience: General Audience
Length in minutes: 60 minutes - Full length work
Space required: The technical requirements of ‘whip’ make it more suitable for studio spaces with full tech capabilities, necessary for elements such as lighting and new media hardware. Because the piece is intended to be viewed in-the-round, spaces that accommodate this configuration of seating are also more suitable.
Preparation required: N/A
General technical requirements: LIGHTING HARDWARE: 25 x 750w ETC Source 4 body w/ unified C-clamps & new or gently used lamps; 25 x 36 degree lens for Source 4. THEATRICAL SET-UP & HARDWARE: Seating: In-the-round; 2 x water based hazer & unscented fluid (or enough to fill the space). NEW MEDIA HARDWARE: 1 x Intel RealSense 3D Camera + mounting hardware; 1 x 50’ powered USB cable (or long enough to reach from camera to operator); 1 x Macbook Pro; 1 x Isadora 3 license. SOUND: Behringer X32 digital soundboard (32 xlr, 40 inputs and 16 bus); Soundcraft FX16 soundboard (16 xlr, 3 aux and reverb); Allen & Heath PA12 soundboard (8 xlr, 3 aux and reverb); 1 QSC RMX 2450a amplifier (for EAW MK 2126 e); 1 QSC RMX1850 HD amplifier (for Subwooker JBL MP 418S ); 1 Bryston 4B amplifier (for QSC E110); 2 way cross-over analog, DBX 223xl ; EAW MK 2126 e speakers 2 way (PA High); JBL MP 418S sub speakers (4 Ohm) (PA sub); QSC E110 speakers (monitor: rear or stage); 4 Yamaha MSR 400 2 ways speakers (powered); 2 QSC K8 2 ways speakers (powered); 2 QSC K8.2 2 ways speakers (powered); 2 QSC MS112 subwoofer speakers (powered)
Availabilities: It should be noted that some of the dates listed in the following questions are tentative, and the 2022/23 season onward hasn’t been fully planned at the moment.
Available season 2020/21 except for the following dates - March 1- 10: Residency at the Dance Centre in Vancouver
Available season 2021/22 except for the following dates - September 1 - 30: Remount of BLUSCRN and premiere in Revelstoke (dates TBC)
Season 2022/23 - Currently unknown. No firm obligations at this time.
Number of performers on tour: 2
Number of support staff on tour: Lighting Designer/Live Operator & Stage Manager
Community Engagement Activities
Artistic Director Ralph Escamillan places a strong emphasis on cultivating community. One way that he does this is through workshops focusing on contemporary dance that encapsulates his background in street, commercial and contemporary dance. He’s especially interested in mixing styles/training and bringing various dance communities together. His workshops follow an investigation into how dance can expand beyond being just a set of ‘moves’, and more a ‘movement’ of peoples—sharing not just the physical, but the histories of where these movements come from.
As mentioned above, collaboration is a big part of how FakeKnot develops work. Likewise, we open up our creative process to the public. This has been done in the past by holding public showings of works in development in a studio context, live-streaming rehearsals, holding online learning series that invite the public into the research phase of new works, as well as participating in panel discussions. In addition to these activities, FakeKnot holds multiple workshops throughout the year, locally in Vancouver where we are based, as well as at tour destinations.
We’d like to engage with all communities, giving special attention to those who may face various barriers to opportunity—be it systemic, financial or some other. In the spirit of inclusivity, there is no specific age group or level of ability that we target. While in person community engagement is more suitable for activities centered around movement, such as in the form of dance workshops, engaging communities with our work can take other forms such as through online talks, and by giving an inside look into our process using social media platforms.
Contact: FakeKnot, jonathan@fakeknot.com
Agent/Manager: Francesca Piscopo, Francesca@fakeknot.com
Website: ralphescamillan.com/fakeknot
Facebook: facebook.com/fakeknot
Instagram: fakeknot