This week's Artist Spotlight blog is guest-authored by Colleen Snell, artistic director of Frog in Hand. The company performs its new work Dragon in the In the Park series, at Exhibition Park on Thursday, June 2nd, 7 pm; Saturday, June 4th, 12 pm; and Sunday, June 5th, 12 pm; and at our new park location, Hanlon Creek Park, on Friday, June 3rd, 5:30 pm.
Frog in Hand is a multidisciplinary and site-specific performance company based in Mississauga, Ontario. We mix dance and theatre with visual art, costume and design. Last year we performed our 1920s inspired piece, Café Noisette, for the In the Park series with the Guelph Dance Festival. This year we are thrilled to return with another exciting production, Dragon.
Frog in Hand is a multidisciplinary and site-specific performance company based in Mississauga, Ontario. We mix dance and theatre with visual art, costume and design. Last year we performed our 1920s inspired piece, Café Noisette, for the In the Park series with the Guelph Dance Festival. This year we are thrilled to return with another exciting production, Dragon.
The Production
Dragon is the timeless story of two knights on a quest to slay a dragon, yet it
is no traditional fight between good and evil. When these knights find their
dragon, they do not encounter the beast they expect. After a struggle, they learn
the consequences of their violent acts; they redefine the meaning of courage
and realize the redemptive power of empathy. Our production is an epic legend
blending swordplay with dance, magnificent costumes and immersive set design.
Damian Norman (dancer, actor), Colleen Snell (dancer, certified actor
combatant) and Andy Ingram (certified actor combatant and fight director) bring
this tale to life while Joe Pagnan (lighting/set designer) and Noelle Hamlyn
(textile artist, costume designer) construct and design the visuals.
The plot of our production is simple, yet deeper metaphors lie beneath
this recognizable exterior. Dragon
manipulates a traditional legend as a way of studying greed, humanity’s
strained relationship with nature, the power of movement to cross borders
between cultures and the overarching importance of myth and archetype in
defining a collective human identity. Oh – this is of course in addition to
swashbuckling fun, breathtaking feats of physical prowess and spine tingling
thrills.
The Process
Dragon was created for
the Off the Wall project, a
multi-arts event Frog in Hand organized in collaboration with the Living Arts
Centre and the Art Gallery of Mississauga. Off the Wall 2015 involved twenty-three artists of all
disciplines who worked in five teams to create original, site-specific
performances. While Damian, Joe, Colleen, Noelle and Andy had worked together
previously they had never worked all together in one group. Andy and Joe had
never even met! This creative team had three 7-hour days to devise an original
show for the grand staircase in the Living Arts Centre. The work premiered on
the fourth day.
Everyone was
challenged and surprised by this project as we encountered our characters and
crafted our story. Noelle and Joe were confronted with the task of creating the
dragon tail (constructed with metal hoops), and transforming the staircase into
the dragon’s nest. Damian learned sword work with Andy, who choreographed the
fight sequences. Colleen physically researched how a dragon might move and
interact. Together we questioned and built a narrative arc, fusing our
professional perspectives as actors, dancers, visual artists, and fight
choreographers into one project. Certainly the pressure of time was stressful,
yet it was also helpful – providing urgency to our process and making each
decision count. The work was a hit with our audience, who told us they liked
the exciting music, breathtaking action and moving storyline. We’ve since
reworked and revisited the piece, performing it in Kitchener for Night/Shift2015. We are thrilled to bring Dragon
to Guelph, and can’t wait to share it with new audiences for the In the Park
series.
Video below shows excerpts from 'Off the Wall.' You'll easily find 'Dragon!' Take a look.
Full Festival schedule can be viewed on our website. So much great contemporary dance in four amazing days!
