"TERRA: Bodies & Territories" by Philadelphia-based choreographer Silvana Cardell is a work of experimental dance theater set in a forest with a multi-generational ensemble of women and femme dancers ranging in age from 7-78. Performed within the untamed forest of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, this immersive, multi-sensory performance is laden in kinetic, theatrical, and sonic experiences of dance and sound.
“In 'TERRA: Bodies & Territories,' we will unite women’s bodies with the land using the untamed forest of the Schuylkill Center as a living laboratory and stage, creating an immersive experience that both reveals and amplifies the threat of patriarchal domination over women’s bodies and natural spaces,” said Silvana Cardell. “We will explore the profound connections between women’s bodies and the earth, transforming the forest into a living, breathing stage.”
Featuring a cast of multigenerational dancers, dramaturgy by theater director Blanka Zizka, and a score by composer Devin Arne that amplifies the natural sounds of the forest, the piece engages with the land’s topography to consider women’s ancestral roles as guardians of the environment and parallels between the oppression of nature and exploitation of women. Arne’s sound installation captures the essence of the untamed forested space at the Schuylkill Center by recording the natural sounds of plants actively moving and growing. Set designer Sarah Kavage creates art installations and props for dancers from natural materials harvested from the land. Costume Designer Vasi Zivaniccreates costumes appropriate to the setting that allow dancers to be protected and enhance their movement in the forest setting.
SchuylkillCenter - Art InstallationMichelle Smith/The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education
“Responding to the Schuylkill Center’s topography, 'TERRA: Bodies & Territories'immerses audiences in an experience where bodies align with the land and human movement and nature merge,” said Erin Mooney, executive director of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. “Our forest is the perfect setting for this performance, where nature is at its most wild.”
"TERRA"will be performed outdoors at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education on June 13, 14,15, 20, 21, and 22. Tickets are available to the public atSchuylkillCenter.org/TERRA. A gallery exhibition and 3-D experience will accompany "TERRA" in the Visitor Center of the Schuylkill Center.
Major support for*"TERRA: Bodies & Territories"*has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from Georgian Court University, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts through the Creative Sector Flex Fund.