Phora

Photography by Stephanie Roberts

Phora

No. of dancers: 2; Original Score by Jon Lloyd.

“[The] chipped stone tool may hold the secret of speech, and it may have been in making things like this that we learnt how to talk to one another.”
~ Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects, (2010).

Inspired by stone-tool technology and the development of spoken language, Phora draws on anthropological and archaeological perspectives to consider manifestations of language within the body. Performers Alaina Wilson and Maranda Barry use exhibited stones and string, not as functional artifacts, but as vessels for enacting object-based encounters that give rise to new modes of interpersonal connection and opportunities for movement-based communication.

As an installation, Phora juxtaposes live dance and displayed objects with projected footage of choreography captured outdoors in Catskill, NY, from June 2021. In tandem with the live performance, this film content allows attendees to view movement encounters between the dancers that echo across time, environment, and medium – reiterating the deep connections fostered between bodies, space, and objects.

During the creation of Phora, choreographer Alaina Wilson drew heavily on her past experiences conducting archaeological research in the Hudson Valley, having assisted excavations of Paleo-Indian Rock Shelters of the Shawangunk Ridge within the Mohonk Preserve in New Paltz, NY. This research familiarized Alaina with forms of early lithic technology, as well as the practical methods by which stone tools are made.

Phora received support from the Catwalk Artist Residency Program, and Brooklyn performances of Phora were made possible by the New York City Artist Corps.

Film Content by Claire de Laszlo

Performance History

Catwalk Institute | Catskill, NY | June 2021

Chez Bushwick RECESS Series | Brooklyn, NY | June 2021

Umwelt Gallery | Brooklyn, NY | October 2021