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footnotes

About:
A performance that evolves around books.

The idea came to me when I was performing in Venice in May 2022 while visiting the legendary book store - “Libreria Acqua Alta” (see photo in the gallery).

In this piece, I refer to different angles on books.
Books can be stories, history, poems, texts and more.
What books are made from: the cover and paper - which bear the imprint of time, wear and the surrounding elements (water, fire, etc.)

I'm interested in examining from all kinds of directions.. content and language versus size and weight, texture and feeling.
I also refer to what a book can represent? ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, ‘the oldest trick in the book’, ‘an open/closed book’, ‘by the book’, ‘read someone like a book’ and more.

"We are like books. Most people only see our cover, the minority read only the introduction, many people believe the critics. Few will know our content" - Emile Zola

I research this idea by experimenting with improvisation, different kinds of body languages and creating movement phrases that derive from those inspirations.
Another angle I try to explore is the posture of the body while reading: we are usually sitting or lying on our back/stomach/side, and when we are reading to an audience it is usually standing - these are static postures, so it is interesting to see how I create movement from the static position.
In addition, there is also the performance dimension which will include setting up a setting with books as well as reading books and/or orally, and I would also like to explore the possibility of audience participation (bringing books, reading under my guidance) and more.

Hope that this work, like a book can affect us, will also affect the audience. To give a moment of escapism, rest and also reflection.

 

Choreography, Performance & Set design: Léna Rykner
Music: Spuntic, Dustin O' Halloran
Duration: 20-25 min.
Premier: 25.7.2024 at Mazia Theater as part of the Jerusalem Fringe Festival, Israel

*Created during a residency at MASH Dance House, Jerusalem, Israel

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