Written by Todd Carroll
I’ve worked with Anabella before, so when I started working on the multimedia component for “Listen to your Mother,” I knew I was getting on a rollercoaster for another ride. My first role this time was to adapt her intimate drawings and paintings for the massive scale of the background stage projection. The creative process is always like piecing together a puzzle without seeing the picture on the box. We found that the video scenography wasn’t enough, so pushed further and started working with floor projections as well, to create a surreal landscape for the dancer, but getting it right was a game of hit and miss. Mini projectors entered the mix, and we exchanged screen for skin.
Creating the soundscape turned out to be a different challenge altogether. Mixing crying babies, snippets of interviews, choir music, and sound effects felt like cooking a complex dish without a recipe. I was constantly adding and removing elements, trying to find the right balance. It was all about trial and error, with more errors than I’d like to admit. Hours of audio and video ended up being scrapped, and at times it felt like we were trying to build a house in the dark with just a pocket knife and some string.
Through all the struggles and false starts, Anabella and I kept pushing each other. Being present in the rehearsals was crucial. I’d create something, we’d test it out, and often it wouldn’t work. But bit by bit, we found our way.
Somehow, we managed to come out of this chaotic, collaborative process to create this cabin in the woods. It’s a place that welcomes you in, protects and defends, and where raucous life thrives.
“Listen to Your Mother” will be premiered at La Mama Moves Dance Festival in NYC, from May 16th-19th, 2024. Save the dates and get your tickets!