'Trilogy' at Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw State University's Department of Dance will virtually host Israel-based Shaden Dance Company in the three-part, dance-on-camera performance of "Trilogy." The production will be streamed for free on ArtsKSU Virtual, on Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. A simple reservation is all that is required to watch.


Created by founder and artistic director Shaden Abu Elasal, "Trilogy" looks at the idea of place as a space that holds memories, hopes, disappointments, aspirations, experiences, and moments of anguish and joy. The piece takes place in Israel in three parts, beginning in the courtyards of Suzanne Dellal Centre in Tel Aviv, moving to the Old City Market in Nazareth, and finally, returning to Tel Aviv on the stage. KSU Dance professor and artistic director Lisa K. Lock says, "It's just really beautiful work. The first and third sections are made for the camera, and Shaden was able to create a strong emotional context, sometimes with very minimal movement, in this beautiful landscape."

A New Art Form
Department of Dance chair Marsha Barsky says, "It's really interesting because the hybridization and juxtaposition of these two forms, dance and film, lend itself to a new understanding and appreciation of the power of dance to convey the human condition, to convey narrative and emotion. So, it allows the viewer to understand the movement in a completely unique and special way."

In creating dance for the camera, choreographers MAY guide the eye of the audience "to what they want you to see, instead of watching a live performance in a big space and choosing your own focus," adds Lock. Presenting international work is not only a delight for patrons, but also for the Dance students. "This work speaks to the Dance Department's commitment to engage with professional practices and engaging with international dance on an international stage," says Barsky.

Share the Work
Students also attended a virtual masterclass led by Shaden, who Zoomed in from Nazareth. Dancemakers are continuously finding new ways to share their work more broadly. Barsky says, "Our KSU Dance Film Festival is testament to that, as we take advantage of opportunities to share with students the value of screen dance as an art form, show them professionally produced products, and have it become an integral part of our season, truly representing the field of dance in all of its forms."

Visit Virtually
Lock explains that Israeli choreographers are known for doing their own unique thing, and in the pieces, "nothing is similar; it's fascinating to watch several works that are all so completely different and unique. The Company is very inventive with their movement vocabulary, and people will hopefully discover something new that they haven't seen before." Patrons and students MAY be virtually transported to these places in Israel, connecting to the wider, international community, through "Trilogy," each part traveling a temporal and spatial line between past and present, history, and memory, life and dance.

Stream It for Free
Made possible by the generous support of the Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta, Shaden Dance Company's "Trilogy" is available to stream at no charge on Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. A simple reservation is all that is required to watch.