SEREMONI A
Apr. 23, 2021
Producer: Clara Auguste Collaborators: Allison Chao, Madeline Nobida,Sharyn Richards, Solange Buon, Tom McNalley, Imranda Ward, Gary Anderson Jr.,
“Seremoni a” is a dance film that examines the theme of modern-day rituals and ceremonies as they pertain to death and past ancestors. With a particular focus on the Gede Pantheon of Haitian Vodou, the piece uses original sounds and texts to share the stories of five women as they race to dance at the crossroads of the California deserts, the trees of South Miami, near the lakes of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, and in encircled sacred spaces. These women and their stories serve as reminders that past ancestors continue to live with and through us, even in our present lives. Although there are subtle connections throughout these solos to one another, they were created independently of one another and inspiration for the piece was drawn from the observation of how present death was at the current moment, especially due to the pandemic.
SEREMONI A - THE FIVE SOLOS:
SEREMONI A: REMEMBERING YOU
This excerpt entitled “Seremoni a: Remembering You" follows a young lady who is encircled by candles in a ritualistic manner. Throughout her solo a sense of inner turmoil transforms into release as she asks for help from the sacred and the unknown.
SEREMONI A: HOLY TREES
This excerpt entitled “Seremoni a: Holy. Trees" follows a character in two different settings, the outside corridors of a church and the forests of South Miami as she searches for reprieve from life's turmoils and grief.
SEREMONI A: LA SIRÈNE AT THE FRONT PORCH
This excerpt entitled “La Sirène at the Front Porch” explores sounds and language, in particular, Haitian-creole Jagon, in order to retell the story of a dream where La Sirène made a visit.
SEREMONI A: AT THE CROSSROADS
This excerpt follows a young woman who is lost and searching for meaning and a higher spirit at the center of a crossroad in the middle of a California desert.
SEREMONI A: SPIDERS AND FLOWERS
This excerpt references two spirits within the Gede Pantheon: Gede and Gede Zarenyen. It follows two women within the trees of Prospect Park and holds themes of ritual, death, and paying homage to the ancestors.