A Choreographer's Perspective: Surface of Light

When my co-choreographer, Cassandra Tumasz, and I were brainstorming concepts for our film, we started with the idea of focusing on the connection between physicality and emotionality. We knew that our intention would be to lead the audience towards recognizing the emotional experience of the dancers through our choreography, with the possibility of experiencing an emotional reaction themselves. For this reason, the movement within Surface of Light is not the only important element of the film; actually, I would say that the intimate moments that occur between our dancers play an even larger role in the design of the work.

From a personal standpoint, my emotional connection to the piece, and a great deal of my inspiration behind making it, stems from a deep understanding of the feeling of loneliness and an awareness of the universality of that feeling. To explain, I know what it’s like to think that you are completely alone in your individual circumstances, and I realize that each person struggles with loneliness in certain aspects of their life. I have found that the feeling of loneliness can negatively affect one’s mindset and change the way they view themselves and others. Most importantly, I have seen how loneliness is really just a disguised form of togetherness, and how the presence of even one empathetic person can make an enormous impact.

When I watch the film, I see one of the dancers as representing loneliness, while the other represents togetherness. When the first dancer enters, she sees no one in the room with her and glances at herself in a mirror, which stands to reflect not only her outer appearance, but her inner state as well. Soon after, she realizes that her reflection shows something, or someone, that she did not expect. Her curiosity regarding the second dancer, who is on the opposite side of the mirror, leads her on a journey towards the realization that she has never truly been alone. Through elements such as a glance between two people, the holding of hands, or a gentle touch on the shoulder, our dancers find a sense of belonging within each other. The movement is important, but the intimate moments are instrumental.

In providing my personal experience with this film, I do not wish to direct the audience’s train of thought in a way that forces them to understand the work in the same way as I do. My hope is for the viewers to experience an emotional connection that is entirely their own.

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