Photo: Marchel B. Eang
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.
whip
Photo: Marchel B. Eang
Project Created by: FakeKnot
Key Artistic Collaborators:
Artistic Direction and Choreography Ralph Escamillan
Leather Hoods Five Left Leather (Lincoln Heller)
Costumer Robyn Jill Laxamana
Lighting Designer & Live Operator Andie Lloyd
Sound Design Stefan Nazarevich
Dramaturg Su-Feh Lee & Josh Martin
Motion Tracking System
& New Media Design Sammy Chien (Chimerik 似不像 Collective)
Dancer Ralph Escamillan
Dancer Daria Mikhaylyuk
Consultants & Mentors
Lighting Design Mentor Jonathan Kim (Chimerik 似不像 Collective)
Fabric Sponsor Lululemon
Performance type: This work is built for a theatre, this work is adaptable to theatre or outdoors or alternative spaces, Full Length Work
How do you define this work: Contemporary Dance
Length of performance: 60 minutes. No intermission.
Audience type: Mature Content (18+ includes nudity, foul language)
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)
Does the work require tech residency: No
Number of Performers on tour (including choreographer): 2
Number of Support Staff on Tour: 3 (Stage Manager - Lighting Designer/Technical Director - Company Manager)
Availabilities: 2024 Spring Season (Mar - June), 2024/25 season, & 2025/26 season
FakeKnot creates 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 in street, commercial and contemporary dance to create a truly unique choreographic perspective, while also investigating his identity as a queer person of colour. All project/work focuses on a highly collaborative process with the interest in finding ways to intersect the world's Ralph comes from with others, using FakeKnot as the bridge for this discourse.
Ralph Escamillan is a queer, Canadian-Filipinx performance artist, choreographer and teacher based in Vancouver, BC. His work questions notions of identity, tradition and clothing, and the influence of pop culture in a globalizing world.
Performance History & Upcoming Performances
PREMIERE: 3-6 November 2021 — Presented by MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) (Montreal)
Project Details
Community Engagement
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. Additionally, 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.
Contact information
Francesca Piscopo, francesca@fakeknot.com
Website: https://www.ralphescamillan.com/fakeknot
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FakeKnot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fakeknot/?hl=enwww.tundejegede.org