Stripping back to the bare bones of dance, 'Submerged' is a fluid, fragile and fierce performance uncovering deep thought and mindfulness.
Nadia Milford and Felix Palmerson mix multimedia and movement in a contextual metaphor where the outside world has no influence: the shower. Often overlooked, the enclosed space isolates and cleanses the mind, exposing the demands of life. Here, the girls unmask the way thoughts break and bond, accelerate and plummet, and ultimately create a bigger concept. Yet only some thoughts are chosen, not all. This is the creative process.
The multi-disciplinary dance displays a short film projected upon the floor and a white shower curtain, with an accompanying live element at the forefront. Wearing minimalist dancewear their skin is covered in marker, which they individually read from during breathers. The spoken component giving clarity on creativity, thoughts and how they build in the mind; an element appreciated by those unfamiliar with the premise of the work.
The piece has been crafted from the girls' independent explorations which revealed the way their minds choose to focus on different thoughts. The space of the shower, though neutral, saw divergent emotional reactions: showing how individuals control their own fate.
The girls flow gracefully and organically together, but snap into a robotic and rigid nature with ease. They depict thoughts which trap people, thoughts that are inescapable, overwhelming and suffocating. Thoughts that cause self-doubt and fear, which tear down the mind and break a person. But also thoughts that collaborate and cooperate, build confidence, liberate with visions of possibility and exude positive creativity.
The abstract work focuses on primal communication through the performer's body, and engages thought-provoking thoughts about thought.
