Somewhere, Everywhere, Nowhere (SEN) is a 50 minute performance for two dancers, an animated light sculpture and stereophonic sound.
All Photo Credits: Sam Roberts
Co-direction, Choreography, Concept & Performers: Alison Currie & Yui Kawaguchi
Set and Lighting Design: Fabian Bleisch
Sound Design: Sascha Budimski in collaboration with Yui Kawaguchi & Alison Currie
Light Animation: Fabian Bleisch & Yui Kawaguchi
Producers: Penelope Leishman & Jason Cross (Insite Arts) Australia
Associate Producer: Ilja Fontaine (Mendora) Germany
All Photo Credits: Sam Roberts
In 2021, despite quarantines and border restrictions, two choreographers from the opposite sides of the world were united in the flesh to create a trans-hemispheric, cross-cultural, mixed-medium work exploring a world that is both divided and united by technology.
During the three years in the lead up to the premiere, Adelaide based Alison Currie and Berlin based Yui Kawaguchi exchanged stories, phone calls, and video rehearsals exploring the feeling of maintaining control and balance in a globalised world where distant events influence each other - sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly - and translating this into choreography.
They collected sound recordings of their daily lives throughout this period to reflect on the differences in seasons, hemispheres and time zones, from which sound designer Sascha Budimski has created a surreal and three-dimensional sound score.
Inspired by cables and connections that make up the internet, light artist Fabian Bleisch created a lighting sculpture made of fibre optic cables which subtly interact with the dance.
SEN brings the perspectives of two distant artists together to reveal a fuller picture of our world and shine light on the ghosts in the machines we all operate within.
Since they started discussing SEN the world changed a lot. Long-distance connection became the norm for a lot of people who were unable to travel to see their families and who were, at times, also isolated in their homes away from their local communities.
Discussion of a loneliness pandemic began years before Covid 19 placed these greater restrictions on our lives, even now when lockdowns are a thing of the past loneliness and isolation is a reality for many.
“In 50 short minutes Currie and Kawaguchi manage to convey this sense of being together, yet apart; of being individuals from different nations who share the same humanity; of finding connection in a virtual world while growing ever more disconnected from what is real.” InDaily
Short promo from OzAsia Festival season 2021
Co-direction, Choreography, Concept & Performers: Alison Currie & Yui Kawaguchi
Set and Lighting Design: Fabian Bleisch
Sound Design: Sascha Budimski in collaboration with Yui Kawaguchi & Alison Currie
Light Animation: Fabian Bleisch & Yui Kawaguchi
Associate Producer: Ilja Fontaine (Mendora)
Producers: Penelope Leishman & Jason Cross (Insite Arts)
Video Documentation: Sam Roberts & Pirie Martin, & Simon Rogers Adelaide Festival Centre
Seconding Dancer: Amelia Watson
Set Construction: Klaus Frohlich & James Dodd
Wardrobe: Tammy Wheeler
World premiere Oz Asia Festival 2021
Thank you to past 2018 Oz Asia Festival Director Joseph Mitchell for introducing Yui and Alison and 2021 Oz Asia Festival Director Annette Shun Wah for supporting the development and presentation of this work
Supported by Arts South Australia, Japan Australia Foundation, Australian Government Rise Fund, Insite Arts, OzAsia, Adelaide Festival Centre
Image credit Rudolf Sagmeister & Sam Roberts
Promotional image made for world premiere season OzAsia Festival 21-23 October 2021