Photo: David Cooper
Aeropuertos Llenos de Esperanza
(Airports filled with hope)
This interdisciplinary performance is a tribute to the migrants: The unspoken struggles, a personal yet collective homesick. The things left behind, the memories that remain, the scars, the shame; the feeling of abandoning a part of us in the pursuit of recentering ourselves in other lands away from home.
“Migrants, you find us everywhere without being anywhere”. While this work has a latinx context, it is still a universal issue and this could be a powerful way to bring the community together. There's so many people in flux right now in the world, so many people keep getting displaced for many different reasons. Migration is ongoing, yet its unspoken struggles are not fully addressed, expressed or seen. Art as a channel to open their own stories, to bring their voice and their experience so we can all grow in conversations that would not happen without the open heart art provides.
Marco Esccer
Photo: David Cooper
Choreographer: Marco Esccer
Key Artistic Collaborators: Performers: Ysadora Dias, Carla Alcantara, other dancers to confirm as the budget is approved.
Past mentors: Aryo Kakhpour, Isak Enquist, Ana Maria Canizales
Possible cultural advisors/playwright mentors if approved: Canadian Latinx Theatre Artist Coalition and Davey Calderon.
Marketing support offered as well by Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre VLACC, if applicable.
Performance type: This work is built for a theatre. This is adaptable to outdoors and alternative spaces. Full-Length work.
How do you define this work:
Length of performance: 20 - 55 minutes
Audience type: General Audience
General Technical Requirements:
Props: The performance includes 1 flag 2x3 feet per dancer and 1 small travel suitcase with 4 small wheels per dancer involved. (2-5 flags and suitcases)
Audio player: We will need an audio player, we can provide usb or the music in an mp3 file as requested.
Light: If there's a theater we can provide a light sheet, but it also depends on the length of the work, here attached an example given to the premiere at Coastal City Ballet with a 15 min piece. The rider is not specific, it is just a sense of what the lights want to express, that was the request from that theater technician/light designer in that time.
Microphones: not necessary because the text can be an audio in voice off. But if there are possibilities for microphones in the theater floor or air microphones could work as well since the piece involves text and singing. It also works without microphones.
Does the work require tech residency: Not necessary
Number of Performers on tour (including choreographer): 2 to 6, depending on the budget approved. The piece can be a duet or up to five dancers
Number of Support Staff on Tour: 1 production support.
Availabilities:
2024/2025:
- Ready to present solo/ duet 15 min excerpts.
- looking for residencies
- or working with a Contemporary or Contemporary Ballet company to set a longer format.
2025/26:
- full-length work
Marco Esccer (he/him) is a queer, Mexican dance artist and Dance Movement Therapist who has a diverse background from the technical to the therapeutic aspect of dance. He received his Bachelor from the National Ballet and Contemporary School of Mexico City, followed by certifications in Research, experimentation and artistic production; Dance Movement Therapy, among others. Marco’s recent work has been performed with the support of Coastal City Ballet, Co.Erasga, The Dance Centre, Dance West Networks and recently as playwright with Momentum 180. Currently dancer and choreographer with Coastal City Ballet, Communications Coordinator at New Works Society.
With a profound interest in creating spaces for awareness of motion, feelings and thoughts, he believes in Art & Movement as a human enhancing method, he is interested in art as a bridge for compassion and understanding finding the common threads to build community.
Performance History & Upcoming Performances
Past presentations
Airports filled with hope [15 dancers, 15 min piece] Premiere. Dec 4, 2022. With Coastal CIty Ballet.
Airports filled with hope [15 dancers, 5 min excerpt] June 9, 2023. With Pacific Dance Arts and Coastal CIty Ballet
Upcoming
Airports filled with hope [4 min solo version] August 14, North Vancouver Shipyards. Outdoor Stage. Mixed program presenting with Coastal City Ballet
Rice & Beans has joined to support the full-length work 2025/26
Project Details
Community Engagement
We would like to engage with immigrant communities. Main target 18+ but it could also be targeted to families. Collaborators would depend on the length of the group, if more than 20 people I would need a support dancer or dance movement therapist, depending on the community approach. I have a relationship with Artists for Mental Health (Artists4MH) who have a diversity of facilitators that could support this outreach.
Depending on the length of the outreach, a community workshop could incorporate the fees form 200-350 CAD per facilitator required.
I foresee this idea being workshopped with non dancer immigrant communities. Example: Watari Counseling, a non-profit that provides services for Latin-American refugees and at risk communities in the Downtown east-side, had shown interest in providing this to their community, as a research workshop into an introspective embodiment to bring migrant people expression into safe movement environments.
Contact information
Marco Esccer, marco.esccer@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcoesccer/