Behind the Scenes: The Making of To Touch the Earth
The Inspiration Behind the Beautiful “When the Stars Dance””
When I was a little girl my parents had friends with whom they often played cards. When it was time for me to go to bed, Hazel would take me outside and we would look at the night sky. We’d look for the moon and find the big dipper. It was quiet, just the two of us and the sky. Magical.
What do you think of when you see the night sky?
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The Inspiration Behind Perceptual Motion Dance Company’s Powerful Dance, “The Monarch”
A friend , Bill Webster, submitted the life cycle of a butterfly to PMI’s Your ideas in Motion contest. At first I thought it would be too literal and more for a children’s performance than a formal concert. Then I went deeper and became intrigued with the idea of resilience. We have all had to develop resilience in so many ways during COVD. We are like the butterflies, fragile yet powering on against what sometimes feels like unsurmountable odds. It broke my heart when I heard the news that the monarch butterfly is now on the endangered list. I hope this dance inspires others to act to protect these and other magnificent creatures that we so often take for granted until it is a crisis and possibly too late.
A goup of butterflies flying together is called a “flutter!”
A group of male butterflies enjoying a puddle together is called a “puddle club.”
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The Seductive and Mesmerizing Serpents
I was fortunate to go to Costa Rica in 1990, before it became such a tourist attraction. We stayed with a scientist who owned protected land. Scientists were there, studying humming birds for the book Birds of Costa Rica. We stayed in the rainforest over a week. That experience inspired me to write a children’s dance theater performance PMI performed “A Day in the Rainforest” in schools for several years. One of the dances was “Serpents”. It is a fun, sensuous and rather silly dance. The kids would gasp and groan whenever we touched. We’ve performed it for adults as well, and they’ve enjoyed it just as much as the kids
Perceptual Motion, Inc.’s choreography often steps outside the box of traditional dance, employing intriguing props and costumes, dancing on ladders, in tents and under tarps, creating stunning moving images, forests, oddball characters… and telling the human story through movement. Its mission is to engage dancers of mixed ages to create inspiring and meaningful experiences that open awareness, challenge perceptions, expand ideas and create community. Its artistic director is award-winning choreographer Lin Shook.
Upcoming & Past Events
To Touch the Earth is an evening of modern dance inspired by the climate crisis.
A brief talk on the environment by the North Park VIllage Nature Center preceeds the performance
Seven dances are on the program, each reflecting a different aspect of the climate crisis.
DATES–> 3/31/23 & 04/01/23
TIME–> 7:30 PM
LOCATION–> The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway Chicago, Il 60640
TICKETS –> Available on Eventbrite for $15-20
Perceptual Motion, Inc. is supported by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs , the Illinois Arts Council Agency and Individual donations
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Past Events
