Southeast premiere of through the mirror of their eyes. Presented as part of the Faith in Arts Institute (October 13 – 16, 2021) co-hosted by Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center and UNC Asheville
Created on the heels of I hunger for you (BAM 2018), Kimberly Bartosik’s through the mirrors of their eyes brims with compassion and violence. The piece begins inside of a storm. A crowd of children runs through. They know which way to go: they are the bearers of direction. Featuring the extraordinary Joanna Kotze, Dylan Crossman, Burr Johnson (Bessie Nominee, Outstanding Performer), and a trio of young performers, the piece is infused with reminders of time, its wild rush forward, its holding patterns, and our abilities to navigate pathways of destruction and renewal.
through the mirror of their eyes features three children performing with a trio of professional dancers. The piece also includes a “crowd” scene, where the young performers, ages 9-13, invite pre-selected audience members onstage to run with the cast. During our recent premiere, this has been an incredibly powerful moment in the work, where our audiences (participants and not) have commented on the feeling of hope and possibility that this act of shared running produces…
…In each venue, the presenter will identify 2 young people who will be integrated into the piece over the course of 1-2 days. It is essential that Dahlia (14-year-old cast member) lead this transmission. The importance of what a young person holds in their body, and that their body is the vessel for non-verbal communication, is a driving concept for the work. It’s not only about learning steps but understanding, through this young body, the concept of direction (we go this way). It cannot be described or taught. It needs to be felt and shared through her.
What better way to begin to dissolve the life-saving borders that we have had to construct than to present a work that needs an audience to exist. A work that requires that we work with children in the community and that the community joins us onstage. Our bodies will be in conversation.
