Mirage

A collaboration for HarpFusion, dance, and film from faculty and students at the University of Arizona

March 14, 2020

12 pm

Kaldalón at Harpa Concert Hall
Reykjavík, Iceland

https://en.harpa.is/events/event/harpfusion-mirage/

Mirage is an integrated multimedia performance exploring psychological dissonance as a result of abusive relationships. Music of Dmitri Shostakovich, Nine Inch Nails, and Ludovico Einaudi is paired with film and live choreography to portray the darkness of abusive situations and the internal conflict of someone struggling to find the light.  The title, Mirage, suggests a connection between a natural phenomenon of desert landscapes and the varying perceptions of reality that a victim can experience in trauma. Video imagery conflicts with live choreography, expressing dissonance between layers of a person’s experience: of reality clashing with memory, emotions, and false beliefs. Physical gestures within the harp ensemble itself underscore the integrated narrative between the musicians, dancers, and film.

This project is a collaboration between Autumn Eckman (Assistant Professor, School of Dance), Dorsey Kaufmann (MFA candidate, School of Art), and Dr. Michelle Gott (Assistant Professor, Fred Fox School of Music). Music is arranged and performed by members of HarpFusion, a six-member harp ensemble from the University of Arizona. We have also been profoundly supported by Willi Maerz, who provided the arrangement of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and who has served as our coach.