Abstract
The Air we Breathe, the Air we Fear is an artistic response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It weaves together choreography and poetry to comment on the embodied and sensorial experiences encountered as we transitioned from a carefree life into the spatio-temporal restrictions of the Covid-19 era that was epitomised by lock downs, masks and PPE screens. The first part of the dance celebrates breath that gives life to all things with a choreographic score that was developed using the chemical composition of air.
The first letter of elements such as Nitrogen, Oxygen, Water Vapor, Argon and Carbon Dioxide is abstracted to create a motif that underscores the vitality of breath in filling up every inch of our body, our cells, our bones, our muscles, our lungs as we run, dance and physically curve the air that surround us. This blue print is marked by a stark contrast in mood and quality as the air we breathe becomes the air we fear in the second part of the dance. The touch that used to connects us becomes a limitation in human interactions while the pathways shift to linear and confined reflecting the yellow lines in shops and supermarkets. The poetic language of Susan Wardell acts as a soundscape and a pulse to the overall piece only to be interrupted by the cacophony of Covid-19 announcements which nevertheless, adds to the audio-visual modality of the work.