Terpsicorps’ Artistic Director Heather Maloy shares a glimpse into the early stages of her process
The creative process can be a crazy ride. Crafting a new dance theater work for Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance, especially one featuring projections, involves a complex interplay of evolving ideas. Join me on my journey to finalized concept!
I had a spark of an idea: perhaps I could create a series of vignettes, each depicting the potential moments leading up to different famous works of art. This would give those frozen moments in time a backstory!
I went down many wormholes, compiling a diverse collection of paintings from many different artists before thinking that perhaps I wanted to focus only on works by Edvard Munch. His darkness is just so compelling and his work always looks like it's part of a broader story. You can follow that evolution by looking at the pinterest page I used to keep track of my inspiration.
I spent considerable time with each painting on this board, not just Munch's, imagining various scenarios for each. While I had many interesting ideas, I wasn't completely in love with it yet. It felt disjointed, and so did I!
The Scream started to consume my thoughts. There were so many ideas swirling around! Then I began to consider the idea that there's no single way to interpret any work of art— and isn't that where the inherent beauty resides? In our own minds? What if I were to highlight that aspect and showcase all the ideas, not just one? The initial concept for 'Before the Scream' was born.
I tend to find my greatest inspiration in the extremes. I love pointing out the inherent absurdity of everyday life as much as delving into the darker aspects of the human experience. I always knew that I wanted 'Before the Scream' to have aspects of both. Initially, my outline included eight potential dark vignettes with interspersed humorous inserts. However, the silly ideas just kept coming, gradually overtaking the project.
The outline is complete (at least for now), and as Goldilocks would say, it feels just right. Seven, well maybe eight, comedic vignettes that playfully poke fun at relatable first-world annoyances lead into one serious and profound statement. I won't spoil it by revealing what that statement is. Suffice it to say, it symbolizes my deepest personal fear, and I'm fairly certain it is one that will resonate in one way or another for every audience member.
Now it's time... to solidify the music choices, continue collaborating on costume designs, determine set requirements, and define how each animated projection sequence will enhance its corresponding vignette. Thankfully, I've already chosen the dancers, and they are truly amazing! The dancers make the final piece of the puzzle— the choreography— the fun part!
Dancers arrive and rehearsals begin here in Asheville on June 24. Don’t forget to nab those tickets for this exciting performance before all the good seats are gone!