All Over the Map 2022

funky fungi is a contemporary dance duet focussed on interpreting and expressing the existence of fungi, focussing on mycelia networks and mushrooms. Through song and dance, we take an imaginative and fun journey into how mycelia and mushrooms might emote or express joy, exploring how the co-existence and collaboration of many species is necessary to create and sustain life cycles. // Photo by Yvonne Chew

Choreographer – Katie Cassady
Performers – Juolin Lee, Katie Cassady
Text/Music – Katie Cassady 
With creative input from – Sophie Mueller-Langer and Juolin Lee

Fantastic Fun Zone is an all ages contemporary dance and physical theatre performance that follows the story of two neighbours who meet and enter a large circle made of colourful rope. They jump, shuffle, hop, scuttle, leap, mosey, stroll, dash, prance, zig zag, slink and twirl through a series of adventures, experiencing a roller coaster of emotions. The work is a quest for human connection and joy, derived from a time where physical distancing from others was a necessary reality. // Photo by Jeff Lucas

Choreography & Performance – Jenna Kraychy & Sophie Brassard
Composition & Performance – Nathan Marsh
Costume Design & Outside Eye – Sasha Schaepe

The Mexican Dance Ensemble – will take you in a dance journey through Mexican history and resilience.  

The first part will consist of a dance journey through Mexican history. Starting from the Pre-Hispanic era with The Aztecs and their worship to the one of the most important Gods ‘The Sun’ to the evolution of Mexican Dance and music after the Conquer. From there till now, Mexican culture has adapted to what the world knows as Mexican Folkloric Dance a blend of influences from Europe, parts of Asia and Africa.

The second part represents the resilience within all of us, every single dancer has their own history, conquers and revolutions. We all came to this country for different reasons, lots of dreams and somehow, we met through the love of Dance. We will perform dances from the South to the North of Mexico along with strong footwork, faldeo (skirt movement) and dancers full of pride and happiness. We can assure you will enjoy this emotional, colourful, and fantastic performance full of power, resilience, and pride. // Photo by Tom Gould

Drawing elements from Bharatanatyam, Carnatic music, jazz and free improvisation, Ashvini Sundaram and Jared Burrows present their interpretation of Shringara, a term in the Indian Classical arts describing the sentiments of romantic love, attraction, and beauty. Following their collaboration, Ashvini will present a Varnam in the traditional format. The Varnam is a Bharatanatyam item exploring the myriad emotions of unrequited love, in both secular and sacred forms. This Varnam is set to a melodic scale in the Carnatic music system called Reetigowla Ragam and is choreographed by avant-garde and world-renowned artiste, Rama Vaidyanathan. Ashvini would like to thank New Works for this opportunity to present about Shringara at All Over the Map! // Photo by Alison Wandzura

Performance – Ashvini Sundaram
Creative Collaborator – Jared Burrows

This performance will take audience members through all the facets the dance form presents such as the body in space through dynamic movements, shapes, rhythmic footwork, and facial expressions. It also transcends one to a spiritual and inner connection.

The performance will begin with a short Carnatic vocal by Sreya Srikanth followed by bharata natyam works choreographed by Jai Govinda.

The first is a sloka in the Sanskrit language in praise of the sun god, creator of the morning light. This will be followed by the pushpanjali which is an “offering of flowers” by the dancer to the gods, guru and audience. Next Shringara Lahari is a work on one of the 9 rasas (moods) in bharata natyam depicting beauty and love. It demonstrates the attractive qualities of the feminine goddess. Kiruthika will conclude with a Thillana which is considered the best of all pure dance, or nritta in bharata natyam. // Photo by Sridar Elumalai

Shilpa will be presenting three dance compositions choreographed by Jai Govinda, Artistic Director of Mandala Arts and Culture, in the Indian classical dance style Bharatanatyam. The program will begin with a Pushpanjali, an invocatory piece involving an offering of flowers, followed by Gangadeswaram Shankaram, a composition exploring the Ardhanarishvara – a form of the cosmic dancer, Shiva. An intricate and fast paced pure dance composition, Thillana will conclude the evening. The program also features a Hindustani vocal segment by Akhil Jobanputra. // Photo by Mahesh Kothamangalam

Choreography – Jai Govinda, Artistic Director of Mandala Arts and Culture
Dance – Shilpa Shankar
Music – Shri Balasubramaniam Sharma and late Shri OS Sridar with an orchestra based in India

Kyoto is a Luganda word from the Ganda people of the Buganda kingdom of Uganda which is loosely translated as a fireplace. This participatory dance and drum performance seeks to evoke the spirit of inseparability between the ‘audience’ and the ‘performer’ as it has been and is one of the pillars of dances of Africa, with Uganda in focus. // Photo by ISFIT Festival Trondheim

Living With is a multi-layered dance performance that explores the interconnections between people and our relationship to the earth. Through the thoughtful storytelling, harmonizing, dancing and drumming of the Her Tribal Roots artists, we can reimagine how we interact with one another and with nature. Living With is a true mosaic where different dance styles, music, poetry and cultures come together to create a beautiful expression of how we can all live with one another. Don’t miss this opportunity to feel the rhythm, connection and joy that is all around us! // Photo by Moonray Photography

Stratum is a performance installation interlacing dance and textile art. The installation resembles a nest, composed of long stripes of textile. Together with intricate choreography by Sarah U, Stratum highlights 2 dancers moving in, out, up, down, and around the installation while embodying molting, a strenuous and transformative process when animals and insects shed part of their bodies. // Photo by Sheng Ho

Choreographer & Dancer – Sarah Hin Ching U
Instillation & Costume Design – Aynaz Parkas
Dancer – Jaqueline Ritter