This week’s Dance First Insight is from Lorca Simons & Live Wire!
“I believe in the power of motion, the wisdom of gravity, the emptiness of true love, the fact that there is no way out but through the body, no way up unless we all go together, no way down unless we follow the beat, no way in unless we embrace the dark.” Gabrielle Roth
Hello Dancers and Shakers,
Lorca here. Hello! I want to share what the 5Rhythms theatre wing, LIVE WIRE has been up to.
This past summer my sister Lake suggested I direct Savage Love at our family’s outdoor theatre Hip Pocket in Texas; the home we grew up in, where Lake and I have now become artistic directors and the place where Gabrielle Roth and I further birthed Water Bearer’s Dream and Savage Love after our New York City run.
Gabrielle first introduced me to Savage Love when we decided to explore and perform the show as a two hander with myself and Jonathan Horan in the early ’90’s. Since that time I’ve wished to further investigate this powerfully potent rich text with an intimate ensemble. It felt like a perfect fit to direct Savage Love. Back to the root of the root! I said “YES”. My son River and I packed our bags and headed to Texas, landing under a vast star filled sky to the magical Hip Pocket Theatre deep in the heart of Texas.
River who is twelve now (can you believe it) set designed with my sister. I love watching River grow in himself as an artist. He’s extraordinary. We brought together a wonderful ensemble of people. We dove deep and wide into the belly of that juicy material. The real raw deal. Heavenly!
Savage Love is a fiercely familiar exploration of the heart. Exploring relationship as an edge that excites, entangles, withdraws, babbles, believes, dreads, doubts, destroys, begs, hunts and haunts.
Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin mined in simple, elegant poems what is lost and what is gained by love. These 19 poems traverse the vastness of the subject, sometimes void of sentiment and sometimes tender: the innocence of a first encounter; the intimacy of an early romance; the delusions; the inability to communicate; the endearments of affection; the savageness of being soul-robbed; our grasping and need for partners. This series of poems—at turns raw, vulnerable, intense, and violent—traces the course of relationships from the first moment to the last touch.
Experiencing the embodiment of these twelve individuals aligning into ensemble was breathtaking and amazing to witness. It was a great process, healing for all and a stunning evening of theatre.
I look forward to furthering LIVE WIRE adventures with YOU. It’s been some time since we’ve danced, sharing space together, putting our hearts on the line. Laughing through tears and making spontaneous magic together. The theatre wing is alive and well friends. We have many upcoming labs and creative opportunities to offer in these months ahead. Watch this space. Stay close. I long to create magic with you, hear your stories and look deep into your eyes.
Embracing your everything,
Lorca
