“Building Blocks” is an architectural and site-specific dance piece that blurs the lines between performer, viewer, and environment. The performance dynamically responds to its surroundings and its architecture, including the audience and the people inhabiting the space.
The piece seamlessly blends improvisation and choreography, creating a captivating interplay of structure and spontaneity that unfolds in time and space. Characterised by a sense of simplicity, presence and attentive listening, the piece invites audiences to tune into their own embodied experiences.
As dancers become both performers and observers and the audience becomes an active part of the performance, “Building Blocks” fosters a dialogue that challenges perceptions of space and embodiment. It prompts questions: What does it mean to inhabit a space? To embody it? Can we see, move, and sense as others do? Can we be both observer and participant?
Performers: Claudia Richli, Chloé Dall’Olio, Lin Chen, Mattie Alston, George Berekos, Vaidehi Bhargava, Fatima Sastre, Ellie Chick, Petter Skurdal, Tan Rae Yao Anneli, Caitlin Paramor, Ming Hsieh, Olivia Foskett, Jing-Yen Wang, Willow Fenner, Amanda Pang, Jon Rodd.
Choreographer: Marie Chabert.
Music and composition: Alex Paton
Filming and editing: Emily Adams
Performed at Bedford Balham, London, September 2022