For Immediate Release:
An epic dance-on-film performed only with hands
Odyssea begins her ocean voyage. Sculpture by Raphaela McCormack; photograph by Hans Rinderknecht
Rochester, NY — Quicksilver Dance presents “Odyssea” – an epic dance-on-film performed only with hands – at The Little Theatre, 240 East Avenue, Rochester, NY. The 30-minute film will be screened for one night only during the Rochester Fringe Festival: Monday, September 18, 2023 at 7:30 pm. The film will be followed by a Q&A with the artists. The entire event is free of charge.
Odyssea passes Purple Mountain. Sculpture by Raphaela McCormack; photograph by Hans Rinderknecht
When Odyssea, a curious sea traveler, is washed up on shore after a storm, she encounters the flora and fauna of a fantastical realm. To match the scale of the scenery by mixed-media 3D artist Raphaela McCormack, director/choreographer Mariah Steele (Assistant Professor of Dance at University of Rochester) performs this one-woman dance with only her hands, set to original music by Yoshiko Arahata (Eastman alumna and former faculty) and videography by Hans Rinderknecht (UR’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics).
Odyssea meets a creature at the fruit trees. Sculptures by Raphaela McCormack; photograph by Hans Rinderknecht
Beginning as a pandemic project in 2021 for that year’s Fringe, the wife and husband showrunners Steele & Rinderknecht quickly realized that their initial time line was too ambitious for the scope of the project. While Steele’s left hand always plays Odyssea, her right hand is painted differently for the eight creatures Odyssea encounters, inspired by McCormack’s sculptures that anchor each scene. Steele relates, “This project started as a way to challenge myself choreographically (a whole dance with only hands?) Little did I know that hand choreography was the easiest part of the challenge! Along the way, I have taken on new (to me) artistic genres, such as body painting, set design, fabric arranging and even calligraphy. Just the technical aspects of creating a film studio in our basement took incredible ingenuity and MacGyvering by Hans. This film has been our own epic artistic journey, which we’re thrilled to finally be able to share two years later!” The team hopes that Odyssea’s journey of overcoming hardships by building relationships and diplomacy will inspire audiences - and provide a feminist version of the traditional concept of an odyssey.
Odyssea helps pilot a riverboat. Sculptures by Raphaela McCormack; photograph by Hans Rinderknecht
While this will be Quicksilver Dance’s first dance-on-film at a Fringe Festival, the company performed live at the School of the Arts Main Stage Theater in the 2019 Rochester Fringe Festival, as well as in the 2014 Montreal Fringe Festival, where they were nominated for the Most Outstanding Choreographer Award. A Montreal Fringe reviewer wrote, “Great variety of mood and movement.... I dare you to find a company that dances with more heart.” Odyssea, with her playful and poignant tale, will not disappoint in this regard, as her trek across biomorphic landscapes promises to make the familiar feel excitingly unfamiliar again.
Behind the scenes with performers Lia Nelson, Mariah Steele, and Anna Remus. Sculptures by Raphaela McCormack; photograph by Hans Rinderknecht
Odyssea scouts atop a fruit tree. Sculptures by Raphaela McCormack; photograph by Hans Rinderknecht