Residuals | Co-Presented with OUTstages

Created and performed by Shion Skye Carter

“Calligraphy is meant to be a pure expression of our souls and spirit, and in a way that is difficult to articulate in words, [Carter] manages to show us complex inner layers of herself—without ever being literal.” – Stir Magazine

Residuals (住み・墨) draws visual, sonic, and physical influences from Japanese calligraphy, integrated with dynamic choreography to reinterpret the traditional form through a contemporary lens. Calligraphy brush strokes inform Carter’s movement as they dance among hundreds of sheets of translucent paper, channeling moments and impressions from their childhood, while the lighting evokes an abstracted memory of their Japanese grandparents’ rural home where many of the artist’s memories of domestic life and cultural rituals originate.

The culmination of 3 years of artistic research and development, interweaving interdisciplinary elements such as full-stage video projections, sculptural costume design, and bilingual spoken text, Residuals (住み・墨) takes audiences on a personal journey of self-discovery, where the inner layers of Carter’s identity begin to unfurl.

The work’s title holds a double meaning:
住み /sumi/ = to reside in a place
墨 /sumi/ = ink

. . . . . .

The performance will open with a work-in-progress choreographed by Angela Mousseau, titled Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Featuring dance artists Elya Grant and Nyah Wong Penner, the piece is a multi-phase collaborative exploration of how contemporary dance can be interwoven with sketch artist illustrations and the use of lighting design. Angela Mousseau is a 2023/24 Dance Victoria Residency Artist and a past Choreographic Lab participant.

Co-presented by Dance Victoria and Intrepid Theatre’s OUTstages Festival, with additional support from Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society.

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