Julia Boberg, The Playground
The Playground
March 13-April 10
Opening reception: 15, March 6:30pm; Immersive performance begins 7pm
I am an artist, dancer, and choreographer deeply committed to sharing my artistic expression through movement. During my creative process, I tap into a childlike adventurous spirit, granting myself the freedom to experiment and take risks. This serves as a significant departure from my daily life, which is typically characterized by meticulous planning and attention to detail. I employ restriction-based scores for performers, coupled with minimal pre-planned choreography, allowing the final product to unfold naturally.
In my latest work, Playtime, I delve into chance procedures in performance, using dice rolling and colored lights as unconventional choreographic notation. The numbers on the dice correlate with how many squares the dancers move throughout the space and which dance step they will perform. The color of the lights dictates the speed of the dancers’ movements. As the cues are called, the dance floor transforms into a playground. The dancers must shed the comfort of predetermined choreography, leading with vulnerability as they immerse themselves in the unpredictable nature of chance procedures.
The Playground extends the narrative established in the film, offering an immersive opening night performance that invites the audience to actively participate in live chance operations and observe as the dancers respond to cues from dice, cards, sound, and visual graphics. After opening night, the ghost of the performance lingers in The Playground, embodied by the game board torn by the dancers’ steps. As audience members, you’re invited to play on the game board, mirroring the dancers’ experience – rolling the dice, executing the corresponding task. After completing the task, reflect on the sensation of participating in restricted play, and pin your reflection to the blue square, becoming part of a collective community. In this dance guided by chance, I invite you to roll the dice, embrace the unexpected, and share in the desire for freedom from predetermined paths.
As an extension of my artistic world, I invite you to explore more of my work on my website and connect with me on instagram. On these platforms, you can delve deeper into my creative process, view behind-the-scenes footage, and stay updated on upcoming performances and exhibitions.