blueblueblue

Watery bodies. Bodies of water. Movements in blue. blueblueblue invites us to explore “watery bodies” through movement performance. The piece considers water as physical property, social space, political object, metaphor, inorganic kin, history. Choreographed and performed by Fiana Kawane, the work’s movement vocabularies draw inspiration from the South Asian classical dance form Kathak. A recorded score, by Shwe G and Aatrey Bhat, builds on a 12-beat rhythmic cycle (ek taal) and the 12-bar blues, referencing classical, rock, experimental, orchestral, and heavy metal music. Through Kathak-rooted contemporary movement, transnational sound, and experimental storytelling, blueblueblue foregrounds histories, memories, and futures of water. 


Fiana Kawane

Fiana Kawane (she/her) is an independent dance artist and choreographer trained in Kathak. She dances and writes in Vancouver, B.C. on the unceded, ancestral, and traditional territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations. Her work has been supported by the Dance Centre, New Works, Dance West Network, BC Culture Days, and Vines Art Society among others. She is an artist-in-residence with Dance Victoria.

photo: Sheng Ho, courtesy Vines Art Festival

Contact Information

Website: http://fianakawane.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/fianak

Instagram: @fianakawane

Email: fianakawane@gmail.com

Details of the work:

Choreographer: Fiana Kawane

Performers: Fiana Kawane (live dance); Shwe G and Aatrey Bhatt (recorded music); Valentin Delmas (recorded motion graphics, optional)

Year of creation: 2023

Lenght of work: 15 min - 20 min

Preparation time required on site: 2 hours

Technical requirements required on-site, briefly: Sound system

Space required (specify size of area and floor type ): 20" x 15" space. Open to configurations of outdoor spaces. Stone and smooth pavement are ideal for spins and footwork. For rough concrete or pavement, artist will bring own vinyl floor covering of 10" x 10" size. For grassy, rooty, or rocky floor, or steps, artist will modify choreography site-specifically.

Community Engagement, blueblueblue

As the piece engages with water, performance spaces that are next to or connect with lakes, rivers, ocean-fronts, ponds, beaches, or docks would be wonderful. blueblueblue has been presented in outdoor settings at Trout Lake and Lafarge Lake in BC. The work adapts easily into a companion, participatory workshop entitled "watery bodies" that invites audience members or workshop participants to move to the same score collectively, before or after the performance.