Eva Feng
2. Ozymandias
Ozymandias is a choreography that investigate the topic of time. Collaborating with composer, visual designer, and fashion designers, I aim to deliver a visually compelling piece that not only investigate temporal dynamics in choreography, but also Time in general.
Alain Badiou points out in "Dance as a Metaphor for Thought” that “we could say that dance is the body beset by imminence. But what is imminent is precisely the time before the time that will come to be.” Time and temporality get stretched, felt and visualized in dance. I enter into a liminal state between conscious and non-conscious. My body moves before my consciousness. “I” got left behind. Because my body, as a material, is being forced to be in the next moment because of time is passing, and the material Being be with time. While the consciousness of “I” is beyond Time. This subtle feeling intrigues me, and I always wanted to explore that. During the rehearsals I lead movement practices like falling, walking, internal dialogues, offering dancers my understanding of movement and choreography.
I chose P. B. Shelley’s Poem Ozymandias to give a grander view on time alongside with the internal investigation of the consciousness of time. The images in Shelley’s poem inspired the movement, set design and costume design. In the beginning, Hannah, act as “Time” is pushing through the stage diagonally even though other forces trying to stop her, she remains steady and pressing onward. Then there are changes in dynamic depicting power and prosperity, life and death, withering and falling, the character “Time” remains standing and keeps pressing onward.
Time and temporality will continue to be my interest. I still want to investigate deeper into time and consciousness, how Being situate in time, the and movement methodology to explore these topics.
Creative Director / Producer / Choreographer: Eva Feng.
Performers: Eva Feng, Lilly Gallego, Isabel Heard, Sophie Jivotoski, Hannah Petersen, Rebekah Petersen.
Director of Photography and Post Production: Chester Yi Zhong.
Set Designer: Junru Chen, Eva Feng.
Visual Designer: Junru Chen.
Music: Roger Shao.
Costume Designer: Cyndi Yiqing Huang.
Video Editor: Esther Ruiting Liu.
Colorist: Sandra Zhiying Huang.
Special thanks to Jessy Fangning Dong, Zhenming Liu, Ivan Yilun Song, Phoebe Shiyu Zuo
Full live performance:
Work in progress public showing: