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Serpentine (2016)

"Ashbee’s work is unafraid, brutally honest, and unequivocally effective" - Didier Morelli, for ESSE about Daina Ashbee's Serpentine at La MaMa, New York 

Daina Ashbee was awarded "Outstanding Breakout Choreographer Bessie Award" in New York City, following New York Performances of Serpentine in 2019.

 

Serpentine is an installation performance, repeated for up to 2 hours, created by Daina Ashbee. The work vibrates the essence of Ashbee’s dark and feminine pieces and is intended as an intense summary of her previous three works, Unrelated (2014), When the ice melts, will we drink the water? (2016) and Pour (2016)

The research explored the occupation of space/time/attention in what became a cathartic solo for Irene Martinez (Mexico) based in repetition and insistence. 

Ashbee uses simple imagery in order to allow the work to resonate with many viewers. The piece includes original electric organ composition by Jean-Francois Blouin which is both disturbing and powerful. The juxtaposition of the haunting electric organ and the slow, sensual movement that escalates in it's violence, is confidently, beautifully and earnestly performed by Irene Martinez.

Sometimes things need to be insisted upon, and I believe repetition is powerful because it insists, because we remember and we absorb. The body is powerful and Serpentine allows one body to speak - to occupy space - and our attention, over and over, insistently revealing the enormous strength of the interpreter - Daina Ashbee

Credits

 

Artistic Direction, Concept, Choreography & Scenography: Daina Ashbee

Interpreted by: Irene Martinez or Greys Vecchionacce

Original Sound Scape Design: Jean-Francois Blouin

Production: Daina Ashbee

Duration: 80 minutes 

Photo: Carlos Cordona

Video: Kim-Sanh Châu

Premiere: October 31 & November 1, 2017

Usine-C - Montreal, Québec

Previously performed by Areli Moran (2017 - 2021) 

Calendar 

December 2nd, 2022

EMPAC 

Troy, New York

November 24, 25, 26, 27, 2022

Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers

Winnipeg, Manitoba

February 4, 2022

Revés International Platform

Heredia, Costa Rica

June 25 & 26, 2021

Montpellier Danse Festival

Montpellier, France

October 30, 2020

Dance Week Festival

Zagreb, Croatia

October 19 & 20, 2020

Joint Adventures 

Munich, Germany

August 13 - 15, 2020

Potsdammer Tanztage 

Potsdam, Germany 

July 3, 2020

Montpellier Danse Festival

Montpellier, France

(Cancelled) 

October 9 - 11, 2019

Usine-C

Montreal, QC

April 26, 2019

Art Gallery of Ontario 

AGO with Harbourfront Centre

Toronto, ON

April 16 & 17, 2019

Crimson Coast Dance Society 

Nanaimo, BC

April 12 & 13, 2019

This Time Tomorrow Festival 

Cincinnati, Ohio 

 

March 27 - 30, 2019

Vancouver International Dance Festival

Vancouver, British Columbia

January 9 - 11, 2019

American Realness

New York, New York

December 2, 2017

CONARTE/Expectante

Monterrey, Mexico

Premiere

October 31st & November 1, 2017

Usine-C

Montréal, Québec

excerpt

September 28, 2017

Les Plateaux

La Briqueterie

Vitry-sur-Scène, France

Creation Residency 

July 1 - 7

Centro per la Scena Contemporanea

Bassano del Grappa, Italy 

​​

Work-in-Progress presentation

January 20 - 21

Welcome to Indian Country

MAI, Montréal Arts Interculturels

Montréal, QC

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