set up documentation by Rameez Karim
By Rameez Karim
After being forced to stop in-person events due to a global pandemic, Studio 7’s first event since 2019 was a breath of fresh air amidst a universe of online everything. Through a selection of curated artists, we, in the audience, were fortunate enough to witness the intimate energy that each piece presented. What really captivated my attention was the spectrum of movement vocabularies that were being presented as “contemporary dance”. Crisp stretches and elongations of the body from one artist were contrasted by sporadic pulse-like explosions from another. Smooth floorwork from one artist was broken with asymmetrical jumps from another. Each piece provided us an intimate glimpse into the choreographic process of the performer. It was beautiful to witness. Being present at the event made me think about the importance of being “live”. A live performance, being streamed live on social media, some creations were made live during their respective performances, all the way down to those present being live at the event. How this notion of physical presence changes so much in our experience of dance and art. Seeing a live event after so long sent a jolt of energy through the room. Oh, it’s good to be back!