In “Perceval” (“through this valley”), we are at the bottom of oceans exploring inner and outer spheres. The work explores sensation, softness and fluidity, as the dancers melt into a multi-textured entity composed of dance, textile, light, colour and soundscape. Abstract elements fragment and regroup into various constellations and mixtures. The dancers fold and unfold, they spiral in and out of each other warping time as they slow down the breath of the space. Seeking to arrive at the baseline of things, they each begin to find their way. The inspirational source of the work is taken from the “Parsifal series” (1916) by Swedish painter Hilma af Klint. Beginning with a dark spiral, the series spans 144 paintings, exploring different levels of consciousness. The work appeals to the present with its longing for meaning and connection in a still more complex world. “Perceval” is a meditative experience with super delicate costumes, organic choreography, video art and ambient soundscapes.
The performance offers our audiences a deep and intense movement experience, where an androgynous atmosphere of our contemporary times capsules an intimate space of embodiment - elements that present and future people (not just those already occupied with dance and movement) might integrate more and more into their individual lives. As the audiences witness the dancers, they too become aware of their own body and breathing - they are participating in a mindful listening to the body, inspired by Hilma af Klint and the Parsifal who seeks some sort of balance through the whole biography from the fool and stranger to self-empowered and superb Self. Possibly more than anything, an important element in our current ‘real reality’. Perceval is a sensuous, colorful and atmospheric work comprised of dance, original music, lighting, costumes by Elisabet STAMM, and video art by SLØR.
SITKA LOUISA is a Copenhagen-based, abstract dance company that was founded by Louise Mochia.
I am a Danish-Ghanaian choreographer and my work explores the world of human experience and relationship to Earth with body positive embodiment practices and diverse representation. My creative practices also relate to the natural environment, fluid motion and sound. Working with dancers and movement improvisation, I draw upon somatic awareness and agency, the intimate and sensorial in connection to the immense processes of life and living. Our inquiry begins in the slow, spiralling and circular flow of vivid, primordial movement. The company’s first production, Perceval, premiered in 2022 in co-production with Bora Bora & Dansehallerne and received critical acclaim.
With an awareness of sustainable methods, we aim to engage with the global arts community and expand the reach and impact of our work. We aim to participate and immerse ourselves in various artistic and cultural environments, enriching the work's thematic and aesthetic elements, while also collaborating with international educational institutions to offer workshops, meetings, and events related to "Perceval." We want to establish partnerships with open spaces, museums, galleries, and cultural organisations internationally, connecting "Perceval" with audiences seeking challenging and immersive live experiences. Our goal is to foster presentness and a sense of somatic awareness through our language of movement. "Perceval" will serve as a vehicle for exchange, dialogue, and contemplation, appealing to a curious international audience eager to engage with the work's themes of sensation and fluid presence, tapping into our inner and outer processes as living beings.
Louise Mochia
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In order to travel light and avoid comprehensive shipping of costumes and set, we are a small team and everything does fit into a car or can be taken onto public transport. Also, we have no waste as part of the show.
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Choreographer & director: Louise Mochia (DK) in collaboration with all dancers involved
Dancers: Zen Jefferson (USA), Meleat Fredriksson (SE), Adam Seid Tahir (SE), and Nikoline Due (DK)
Composers: Stine Steendorph (DK) and Sven Dam Meinild (DK)
Video artist/scenographer: My Lambertsen/SLØR (DK)
Lighting designer: Christoffer Lloyd (SE)
Costume designer: Elisabet Stamm (DK)
Photographer: Christoffer Brekne (DK/NO)Co-produced 2022 by Bora-Bora - Dance and Visual Theater and Dansehallerne
Production & administration: SITKA LOUISA
Generously supported by: The Danish Arts Foundation, Nordic Culture Fund, Augustinus Fonden, Knud Højgaards Fond, Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond,
Danish-Swedish Culture Fund, and residency partners; Milvus Artistic Research Center and ROUTA Company.