Being/April 13,2013/A Night to Remember- Fundraiser for The Miami Performance Festival / A performance piece by Jenna Balfe in collaboration with Dylan Romer/Olivia Ramos/Ganesha Michael Shapiro/Misael Soto/Dhaliahah Daniel Koller/Jacqueline Falcone/Jean Crystal
Being, reflects upon the car accident I recently was in. Through the performance of this piece I confront my own sprit and being through the process of healing and learning from a serious trauma. In this space I learn the importance of meditation and focus- key tools to finding oneself in the present. The injury in I incurred is very real, and in order to go ahead with my plans I must submit to it and believe that I can heal myself. A human, a beautiful complex summation of energy, light.
Click here to see a clip from Being
In the begining I confront a projected live image of myself, which is my essence. Olivia and Dylan act as conduits of my spirit via camera and projector. Eventually the projection is cast over me and I move toward the wall to explore my face. After this a video plays of the pole I crashed into with a few different shots of me. The video is run through Time Piles which- an iphone video app by Dylan Romer, which distorts and layers the sequence of events- which I feel reflects the feeling of timelessness I encountered as I found myself thinking: “I think I am going to be okay” as I sped face first toward the pole. I fully realized that either that statement would be true, or those would be the last thoughts I had. I began to cry watching this video during the performance. After the video ended I continued to sit there without any projection on me. Next my friends came in. Prior to the perfromance, Jackie and Misael decided that they wanted to dress in accordance to their actual relationships to me. Jackie, my former roomate wore a nightgown and a robe, as much of our friendship was spent at home chilliing in our night clothes. Misael, my ex, felt that as much of our relationship was expreienced naked- in more ways than one and he wanted to be naked. Members of Company contributed in ways that were true to our practice during Company meet-ups and Bodymovement class: I gave everyone the invitation to listen to my body with their ears, Ganessha felt drawn to lean over me with his head to my center. He felt this was what he was drawn naturally to do. Dhaliahah said she would link into me, and held space moving seperatly from the group, moving intutivly guided by her own movement practice. Jean videoed the performance, giving her energy to the space being in the actual audience. They helped me up- walked me gently, lifted me onto Misaels naked back and finally moved me towards the edge of the space where they released me, standing on my own beyond the performance area. I turned to them with tears in my eyes, feeling their love for me in this actual narrative. I put my hand over my heart in gratitude and the piece ended. The audience as acted as witness, a concept I draw on from the practice of Authentic Movement creating a closed circuit of energy, a space for ritual narrative.
