Jay Shah
Event Details
Date and Time:
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
6:30 PM
Location: Upintheair Theatre
1885 Venables Street
Vancouver, BC, V5L 2H6
rEvolver Festival
Post-Show Event:
- Free GF/VEGAN Earnest ice cream social
- Apple Watch door prize giveaway
One lucky guest won an Apple Watch after the ice cream social!
Cast and Creative Team
Choreographer/Performer: Sarah Hin Ching U
Video Designer: Alexandra Caprara
Sound Composer: Jackson Adrian
“While I am exhausted of having to advocate for myself constantly in the extremely physically demanding dance world, I find my condition a ‘gift’ at certain times. As I can notice nuances in the blend of everyday life, and to feel every experience deeply, fully, and passionately. This work serves as a testament to the profound strength found in embracing one’s differences.”
— Sarah Hin Ching U
Visual Symphony
In collaboration with video designer Alexandra Caprara and sound composer Jackson Adrian, Silent Howl merges dance with animation and a spare, jazzy soundscape. The performance is a testament to the seamless integration of diverse artistic mediums, creating an immersive experience that speaks to the senses and emotions alike.
The visuals by Alexandra Caprara beautifully complements Sarah’s movements, transforming the stage into a canvas where visual art and dance converge. The dancers’ bodies blend with the animation, creating a dynamic interplay that enhances the storytelling. Jackson Adrian’s sound composition, described as a “spare jazzy soundscape,” adds another layer of depth to the performance, drawing the audience into a world where every sound and movement carries meaning. How did Alexandra and Jackson ensure that the visuals and soundscape complemented Sarah’s dance without overshadowing it?
“Sizing the video next to the movements, filming Sarah then going back to animate on top of her”
Alexandra
A New Approach to Accessibility
Silent Howl is Deaf, deaf, and Hard of Hearing friendly, embodying a new creative access approach explored by the rEvolver Festival. This initiative aims to support community members in making content more accessible when ASL may not be available and for those who are not ASL users. The performance’s movement-based storytelling, enhanced by its musical background, ensures that the narrative remains visually rich and engaging.
The artist has also provided a Musical Transcript, detailing the music’s quality, tone, texture, and style, accompanying the movement. This transcript serves as a guide, allowing the audience to visualize the soundscape as it intertwines with the dance.
Makings of a classic
When asked as to the genesis of how this piece came about, Sarah mentioned that just expressing herself through body movement wasn’t enough. With the idea coming up about three years ago, it was initially a three minute piece, which then blossomed into the feature length 30 minute performance we see now. The collaboration process started with Sarah connecting with Alexandra through instagram.
As in any creative process, the team encountered plenty of challenges, namely:
Sarah’s feeling of having a limited vocabulary choreographically; causing her to initially struggle to match the shapes and pathways, due to her strict & heavy contemporary training in ballet. Furthermore, with the sensory challenges Sarah faces whereby she couldn’t “think and remember anything“; particularly when experiencing tremors, as she was taught to contain herself.
“Close your eyes, imagine yourself in a box and try to shrink yourself, and imagine the box getting smaller and smaller”
Mapping/syncing the movements with the audio visual aspects in real time.
Interms of audio, Jackson created the sound based on the shapes. For example; straight lines signalled quick drops & really stretched long loops etc
The performance
Silent Howl is a vivid portrayal of the auditory landscape that underpins the performance. The journey begins with an electrical hum and deep vibrations, setting the stage for a sensory experience that oscillates between intense and serene moments. The soundscape is described as an ecosystem of electricity, where strings and digital distortions create an ever-shifting sonic environment. How has Sarah’s practice of refocus therapy influenced her approach to choreography and performance? What specific moments during Silent Howl where this practice was particularly impactful?
“Imagining the sensations as a box for example which then explodes and goes crazy, the piece progresses from still & contained to uncontrollable and then bringing it back to a balance and holding it in that state”
Sarah
As the performance progresses, the music transforms, with elements like metallic needles, celestial strings, and digital distortions interacting to build a complex auditory tapestry. The interplay of these sounds mirrors the visual and emotional shifts in Sarah’s dance, creating a harmonious blend that captivates the audience.
Immersive Experience
At one point, a distant siren heralds a ramp in intensity, followed by a deep oscillation that guides the ebb and flow of activity. The music’s evolution from sparse arrangements to intricate patterns reflects the dancer’s journey, echoing the themes of tension, release, and transformation.
As the narrative unfolds, moments of stillness punctuate the otherwise dynamic soundscape, allowing the audience to breathe and reflect. The final moments bring together a chorus of electric birds and a deep rotating vibration, culminating in a unified, peaceful resolution. This conclusion not only symbolizes the harmony achieved through Sarah’s practice of refocus therapy but also serves as a metaphor for the broader theme of embracing one’s differences.
Silent Howl stands as a powerful testament to the strength found in embracing one’s differences. Through the seamless fusion of dance, visual art, and music, it offers an immersive experience that resonates on multiple levels, inviting the audience to witness and feel the beauty of a mind in motion.
Don’t miss this unique performer!
CAWFEEE!
Help sustain my coffee addiction as I explore and bring you the beauty and wonder of lyfe!
$1.00
4 responses to “Silent Howl: A Symphony of Visual and Emotional Resonance”
[…] Silent Howl: A Symphony of Visual and Emotional Resonance, was a visually striking and emotionally stirring performance. It left an indelible impression with its powerful storytelling and stunning visuals, much like the captivating blend of humor, romance, and chaos in “Twelfth Night.” The whimsical setting of the BMO Mainstage, coupled with the enchanting music by Veda Hille, created a sensory experience that mirrored the visual and emotional resonance of “Silent Howl.” […]
[…] Velvet Terrorism exhibit at The Polygon Gallery, which showcased the activism of Pussy Riot, and Silent Howl, an exhibit that explored solitude and the human condition through visual art, I found a common […]
[…] The transformative power of art in “Measure for Measure“, the emotional resonance of “Silent Howl“, and the community-building aspects of “The African Dream” all echoed in the GAME […]
[…] someone who witnessed last year’s Silent Howl (Sarah Hin Ching U’s Deaf-affirming dance poem mapping neurological tremors through light […]