Choreography

Dance as an escape, movement, or prayer

The purpose of movement in this particular production is not only to move the story along, but also to express the inner desires of our characters. We can see dance as an escape, a movement, even in some cases as a prayer. This opera takes us into several worlds and in each planet, we see variations in movement. Within these differences though, there are underlying similarities, reminding us that movement, music, and rhythm serve as a universal human language.

The choreography for the production explores the efficacy of simple gestures executed by large groups. The ripple of a breath through 20 bodies can make an entire audience breathe differently. The slight bend of 20 left knees has the power to shift a theater. Through a combination of these simple, human gestures and the internal pulse and rhythm of traditional Salvadorian dance, the world of our Prince comes alive.

As a choreographer, Tamrin Goldberg is inspired by gaga, an Israeli movement language which focuses on sensation and exploration as a way of healing ourselves through movement. Gaga employs tools that push us to create from within ourselves, finding our own unique expressions, which can then be sculpted into concrete phrasework. Through this approach, Tamrin's choreography explores the differences between the rhythmic, militaristic staccato of the Baobabs and the melodic legato of the Rose Garden and between the haughtiness of the Vain Man and the slyness of the Fox.

Additionally, this project aims to shift the energy of the space, which usually comes from one direction in a proscenium theater. By bringing community members as performers onto the stage alongside professional actors, and by placing those performers in the aisles, we have the ability shift the energy of the room, surrounding the audiences with voice and movement. This proximity serves to remind us that the story, though crafted in the past, is a contemporary one.