“Within the Silence” (2018) is a dance for the company, 2 children and 4 guest dancers inspired by Shook’s love of walking in the woods. A line of dancers walks through the space in precise unison with gestures inspired by nature. Children are balanced in the air on dancers’ feet like dragonflies, dancers slide across the floor like leaves floating on water, an Elder asks us to rest in the beauty and feel the earth’s breath. Within the Silence stretches our perception of time, challenges our comfort with silence and allows the viewer to look deeply.
Within the Silence is a clip-6 minutes 25 seconds
Recorded at Links Hall March 10, 2018
“Conversation Interruptus,” choreographed by Lin Shook and Harvard Vallance, is a witty look at the impact of cell phones on our lives. They are both a blessing and a curse. Our addiction to them threatens our relationships. We stand amidst a vortex of interruptions, dropped connections, and a yearning for truly meaningful connection.
“Where the Sky Meets the Sea” (2016) A magical place exists where the sky meets the water. It’s a place of possibilities, of hopes and dreams, of fears and the unknown….of immigrants in search of sanctuary, people waiting for news of loved ones, the young dreaming of the future and elders remembering the past. The dance opens with an image of water clouds and sound created by props manipulated by 3 dancers. Music is a combination of African, Celtic and Indian rhythms.
Where the Sky Meets the Sea is a 31 second clip.
Recorded at Ruth Page Theatre April 8, 2016
“By the Slice” is an excerpt from Restaurant of Desire, a series of 4 dances that give the viewer glimpses into the many untold stories within a restaurant. In this excerpt, we see 3 very efficient chefs.
By the Slice is a clip of 2 minutes 58 seconds.
Recorded at Dovetail Studios April 12, 2019.
“Time and the River” choreography by Lin Shook) is the winner of Perceptual Motion’s 2017 Ideas in Motion Contest. In this online contest, people submitted ideas for a dance they’d like to see choreographed. The chosen idea was to create a dance inspired by Fred Simon’s original music entitled Time and the River. In this dance for 4, Shook creates a continuous stream of images; of growth and transmutation, of timelessness, of the countless rhythms that occur in a single day, hour, or moment.
Time and the River is an entire dance of 5 min 56 seconds.
Recorded at Links Hall March 10, 2018
“Spirits of the Trees,” choreographed by Lin Shook, is about regeneration and connection to nature. Dessa Kirk’s sculptures of part women, part tree goddesses on Chicago’s Northerly Island inspired it. The dance tells the story of three tree goddesses who are awakened by a wise woman/crone. To survive, each goddess must regenerate her own special power: earth, fire or wind. Spirits of the Trees reflects the resilience, power, strength and beauty symbolized by trees. Props are designed and created by Lin Shook in collaboration with well-known fiber artist Danny Mansmith.
“Into View,” choreographed by Lin Shook. Three dancers emerge from a crowd to explore interpretation, communication, and perception through a tightly woven dance of gesture and body language. Into View was Curator’s choice for the 2004 Around the Coyote Festival in Chicago, Illinois.
Performance in National Water Dance Day on April 23, 2022. This is the full version of the part PMI submitted plus the movement choir. National Water Dance (NDW) is a catalyst that encourages ongoing engagement between dance and the environment. Perceptual Motion, Inc. was honored to be part of National Water Dance Day 2022. Participants in this project choose a water site to perform in an area that needs attention. They then take time to know the site and to ask the questions “What are the water issues in this area? What is the story of this place?” Each participant submitted a 10 second phrase which was incorporated into a movement choir that was live-streamed and performed simultaneously across the United States and its Territories.
Ancient Memories celebrates the profound connection to humanity past and present that the experience of viewing monumental art and architecture creates. The beginning section of Ancient Memories depicts a scene from a museum with dancers draped in white in sculptural shapes on pedestals. Others move past as observers accompanied by sounds from a museum exhibit. The audience is then taken back in time with sustained gestures of invitation creating an aura of mystery and timelessness. Images of ancient Greece are achieved by extracting, deconstructing and revising steps and shapes from Greek dance, architecture and sculpture. Past and present are connected by overlaying shared phrases, moving in and out of canon and unison, and dancers of mixed generations.