Written by Mover, Anneliese Kappey
This short film is meant to tell only part of a story. Presented originally as part of Daily Psongs, MixTape Dance’s new show that premiered last fall, A Home/A House gives depth to the story’s main characters and their relationship with one another. In the show you see their first meeting, his dealing with newly found love, her longing for a real relationship, and their coming together. The piece that shows this sweet and loving development between them is called Silence I Can Enjoy (an homage to “Enjoy the Silence”, by Depeche Mode), and is set to Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe.” In the world of Daily Psongs, the minute these characters commit to being in each other’s lives the world around them gets more profound. In the safe arms of young love, they set out to learn a lot about themselves, while inspiring others around them to do the same.
Right before this short film is presented, the audience is allowed into the characters’ minds through a piece called A Warning. A Warning enters another world, not that which is inhabited by the characters in Daily Psongs, but rather one that is populated with these characters’ psychological makeup. The audience is cued into what’s to come, while the two main characters involved in this romantic relationship seem surprised, but ready. As the man in this love affair lies on the floor in a trance, the woman leaves. What happened and how we got here is explained in the short film.
What you see in this film is Silence I Can Enjoy, this time set to a different song. The audience is meant to recognize the movement, to know that they have seen this previously. These images exist in the man’s memory, and while the film is being shown on the screen his character is woken up onstage to confusion and memories of togetherness. The second half of this short film, when she takes a walk to clear her mind, is presented onscreen only. Some viewers feel this short is beautiful, but very sad. The story doesn’t end there though! When performed live, Daily Psongs tells the whole story. This short film was a first time large-scale collaboration between David Orr and I. Without his knowledge on how films are made, and his ability to tell me “no” whenever needed, this movie would not exist. Enjoy!
Short dance film by: Anneliese Kappey and David Orr With: Danilo Barbieri and Lara Jean