(2017) States of Motion, States of Rest
States of Motion, States of Rest is a Dance Performance focusing on themes of depression/stasis, and anxiety/action. Designed to be minimalist, the show consists of only 3 elements: Jordan wearing only underwear (if possible, depending on the venue) playing music on a looper pedal and a drum machine, Chris dancing in a versatile costume he designed and created called a “wave dress”, and a visual element of some kind (either live processing or a simple video loop). The show ran from 2017-2019 in a variety of venues in both Los Angeles and Tulsa. Video of the opening performance can be found here: States of Motion, States of Rest Video from our performance at HM157 in Los Angeles (the last performance of SOMSOR) can be found here: SOMSOR, HM157
Music: Jordan Wright
Choreography: Chris West
Costume Design: Chris West
Direction: Jordan Wright
Video Collage: Chris West
Live Video Art: Fayez Mansour
Documentation: Destiny Green, Steve Liggett, Blessing Etumudor, Chris West
Venues Depicted: Liggett Studios, Cameron Studios, Bound For Glory Books, HM157
Closing Thoughts: SOMSOR was a versatile show. There were a few songs that always showed up, and many that popped in and out again. Chris spent a long time designing the wave dress, studying different skirt designs from different cultures, and looking at how they played with motion, as well as how specific weights of fabric affect the flow. The costume that resulted is a beautiful and versatile tool that he wielded excellently. It definitely reads as an early-career show as well, and one that we learned a lot from putting together.