Stage design — Dalija Acin Thelander

immersive affective space

The sensuous choreographic and dramaturgical approach to perception through nonhierarchical dynamic constellations of the heterogeneous elements and materials, generates shifts in the affective tonality of the performance environment.

Within my Sensuous Performative Ecologies practice, I employ immersive choreographic strategies on the design of scenography and props, as well as lights, placement of video projection and sources of scents. Those strategies draw on the concepts of embedded cognition and the understanding of perception in terms of the body-environment nexus.

Scenography, as a dynamic form, contributes to the kinesthetic experience of performance and the redistribution of agency, highlighting the non-central role of the dancer. The objects, accessible throughout the performance, are designed to encourage physical engagement and experiential exploration, provide diverse tactile stimuli and respond in various ways to audience interaction. Their form and placement are choreographed to elicit both individual and collaborative play, evoking a sense of intimacy and intrigue. The abstract design, devoid of resemblance to real-life objects, fosters imaginative play. Within such an ecology, through mutual insertion and intertwining, all bodies and materials engage in reciprocal open-ended exchange.

process

The space, as a fundamental constituent of the performance event, becomes an everlasting reminder of the politics of being-together - “For future to be open, space must be open too” (Massey 2005)

I have designed and hand-made scenographies, props and costumes for most of my performances. Production of the stage elements starts before the rehearsal process and continues as the performance creation evolves. Practical aspects of the performances are affecting the design in terms of choices of fabrics and size and amount of elements, making them touch-friendly and touring-friendly.

Mellow Cosmic Forces