SURRRENDER (2022)

SURRENDER is a cyclical, looping movement and sound pattern crafted anew each time performed. It addresses surrender as a staying with, a choice and commitment. The work seeks a soft yet assertive bodily presence that advocates for the dancer to take ownership through their dancing body and find agency within a fixed form. The sound demands the dancer to make choices; either submitting to the direction proposed or to stay within where the dancer currently finds herself. These choices demonstrate a subtle and nuanced approach to agency in how decisions are made when movement and sound meet. How does one find agency within fixed forms and structures?

In this iteration of Surrender, Ella explores working with the fixed sound score from musician Nikkie Kemp. 2 FORMS meet, although Ella tries to constantly perform the FORM anew, expand the duration of the movement landmarks and challenge the physicality of her body.

Images from No Dress Code, Yorkshire Dance (2022) Credits: Darren Payne