Participating in a summer intensive is a rite of passage for every dancer. Whether it's through your local dance studio or a well-established company, these programs provide a valuable opportunity to learn varying styles of movement under different instructors alongside new peers. This grueling yet rewarding experience tests a dancer's strength, technique, endurance and artistry, ultimately leaving them stronger than when they began.
Symbiosis Arts offers its own take on what a summer intensive can be with its 3rd presentation of "Sancta," a four-day long, pro-level choreography course designed to provide dancers with hands-on experience in a professional class setting. Presented on July 12th at The Color Club, the 24 summer workshop dancers joined Symbiosis Arts company members to showcase an experimental collaborative work by choreographers Elijah Motley, KC Bevis and Braeden Barnes.
Before the intensive dancers took the stage, six members of the Symbiosis Arts Company performed a short introductory piece choreographed by the company’s creator and artistic director, Braeden Barnes. Wrapped in navy blue lace, the dancers stalked across the floor, twisting their wrists and manipulating their hands into wriggling unicorn horns, eyebrows, pincers and devil horns. Periodically, they stopped to arch their backs in tortured anguish, their mouths twisted open in silent screams, contorting in time with an extended whine in the music.
Their ability to reshape their faces felt reminiscent of birds peacocking—a deliberate transformation to make an impression—while the muffled strains in the music eerily mirrored that of a bird's screech. Together, this imagery suggested a sense of reimagining or reinventing one’s self.
The soft music and costuming contrasted sharply with the dancers’ powerful presence and movement, creating a dynamic balance akin to a fluctuating scale. This constant interplay between soft and hard elements produced moments of complete harmony as each extreme stabilized the other. This balance of opposites prompted the audience to reflect on finding equilibrium in their own lives, showing how conflicting emotions or circumstances can achieve a harmonious unity when given the chance to balance.
Workshop dancers rehearsing for "Sancta 2024"; Photo by Peter Hinsdale
As the movement slowed, the workshop dancers filled the floor. Forced to share the space, but overcome in number, the dancers laced in blue formed one final circle. In unison, they cried out “wah wah,” creating a tonal shift that introduced the more playful, childlike collaborative workshop piece.
One dancer stood on a stage platform, overlooking the rest of the dancers lined up in a militaristic fashion. The mass of bodies stood still, waiting for commands. The dancer on the platform mimicked the action of drinking and released a refreshed “ah” as the imaginary liquid entered their body. Looking out over the crowd, they announced the liquid with extended vowels: “Soooouuuuup.”
She tossed the imaginary drink into the crowd, causing one dancer to absorb its properties and move through a series of large, stretching motions—as if waking from a long nap and releasing built-up tension. The other dancers, unaffected by the liquid, stared wide-eyed in wonder, their bodies leaning enviously toward the fantastical movements, as if witnessing a body move freely for the first time, unbound by strict structure.
The soup was announced and tossed into the crowd four more times, each instance creating a cascade of movement as different dancers unlocked a new manner of moving, while the others watched in awe. Eventually, all the dancers drank the soup in unison, embracing a newfound sense of childlike wonder as they transitioned to the next section of the routine.
The soup continued to influence the dancer's emotions throughout the piece, drinking and extending the phrase to “Soupah'' as the work progressed. The imaginary liquid directly affected their movement and perspective, often flipping the tone of the dancer from somber to delightful. This consumption symbolized the intensive’s goal of encouraging dancers to approach movement in an experimental and freeform manner—inviting both dancers and audience members to reminisce about a time when dance was a means of expressing pure joy and self.
The sense of rediscovering childlike wonder was further embodied through a sequence of games enacted by the dancers. Seated in a sprawling circle, they engaged in classic activities like duck duck goose, tagging, running, and giggling freely—immersing themselves in the joy of the present moment, unconcerned with the world and audience around them. The performance concluded with a shared toast and an exuberant cry of “SOUPAH,” marking the dancers' embracement of genuine self-expression and their commitment to being present and finding joy in the everyday.
Hosting an hour-long performance after just four days of rehearsal was a remarkable achievement undertaken with grace and professionalism by the participants of the Symbiosis Arts summer intensive. "Sancta" serves as a transformative opportunity for dancers seeking to advance from amateur to professional, and witnessing this moment in their journey was truly an awe-inspiring experience.
To learn more about Symbiosis Arts, click the link below or visit their website at symbiosisarts.org.
