Once again, Ancient Path is collaborating with Mikaela Clark and Mackenzie Clevenger-Valley of Elu Dance Company (formerly Without Words Movement) on an exciting project based on CS Lewis’ book, Till We Have Faces.
Mikaela and Mackenzie approached us at the beginning of this year with the concept, the Lewis book in hand, asking if AP could compose the music, write and adapt the narrative and record the final soundtrack in our studios. After a few brainstorming meetings with them and other talented collaborators, we were all off and running – literally. You can see and hear the final result this week and we promise – you won’t be disappointed! Here’s the info….
barefaced
Inspired by C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces, this dance work follows two sisters as they traverse the frontier of truth, trust and devotion. In collaboration with musical artists of Ancient Path, this retelling of Cupid and Psyche will transport its audience into world unknown, laying bare the human condition.
March 17, 18, 19 at 7:30pm
Tickets are $12 on Thursday, $30 Friday & Saturday
Buy tickets online: cptonline.org
or call 216-631-2727 x501
Cleveland Public Theatre
6415 Detroit Ave
Cleveland OH 44102
Part of Cleveland Public Theater”s DanceWorks 2016,
This evening is shared with MorrisonDance premiering humANimals
More about the work from Elu Dance Company:
After finding a copy of ‘Till We Have Faces’ on a shelf at the library one day, and after devouring its pages, we said to ourselves- this story must be given a new life through movement. It is a story wrought with passion, with all the complexities of a heart that’s been broken, confused and angered by love. In Lewis’ retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, the story is told from Psyche’s older and unfortunately ugly sister. Orual’s adoration and care for her beautiful younger sister is tested when Psyche must be sacrificed to the Shadowbrute to appease the anger of the gods. When Psyche is found after the ‘devouring’ however, Orual is shocked by her sister’s foolish desire to stay on the mountain where the Shadowbrute lies. Tortured beyond limit, Orual’s quest to save her sister turns against them both. It is only through giving her complaint where Orual can stand face to face with the gods.
Lewis’ work is not just an interesting story to us, but it confronts questions and longings deep within us. Our desire in creating barefaced is to respond to the unanswered questions that were dug out of us when we read the book. barefaced is a movement prose that confronts the world between gods and men, reason and broken souls. We are excited and grateful for the collaboration of the musical artists of Ancient Path, set designer Mark Sugiuchi and costume designer Jennie Doran. We see this premiere at DanceWorks as phase one of this piece. As a work-in-progress, we are excited to see this grow and to have the audience participate in the process.
“I saw well why the gods to not speak openly, nor let us answer. Till that word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble that we think we mean?
How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?”
C.S Lewis
