IMAGO is “A phatasmagorical sci-fi dance theatre experience” that “reckons with the distance between what we are and what we believe ourselves to be.” Choreographer and performer Nicola Bullock describes the creative and practical development of her solo-piece IMAGO, the impact of living abroad on her identity as an ‘American’ artist’ and tips for creators who yearn to make their own singular piece.
Nicola Bullock is a dancer, choreographer, and performance artist. She’s lived in Chapel Hill, NC, New York City, Durham, NC and most recently Berlin, Germany. Her work investigates the range of human expression as a means to create potent images and meaning. She holds a degree in psychology and dance, and is an original co-found of DIDA (Durham Independent Dance Artists). IMAGO is her second evening-length show.
IMAGO info: performances January 11-13 and 18-20, 2018 at The Durham Fruit Company, 305 S Dillard St, Durham, North Carolina $10 before / $12 at the door *No one turned away for lack of funds* tickets available here!
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Mentioned:
005: Director JaMeeka Holloway-Burrell gives voice to the value of community
Time break-down:
[0:00] Episode intro and Nicola bio
[1:08] The inspiration for IMAGO
[6:35] How does Nicola take an idea and translate it into physical movement?
[7:40] How has IMAGO transformed over the various showings in the last year?
[8:44] “The creature struggles to adopt “identity-appropriate” behavior while remaining connected to its wild nature.” What is identity-appropriate behavior?
[12:00] Preserving the spirit of collaboration while being a solo performer. Bringing on a team. Long distance collaboration – how does that work?
[15:36] How has living abroad influenced the way Nicola thinks of the US and making art? Why bring IMAGO to Durham? What has it been like to make art in Germany?
[20:11] What makes a piece dance-theatre vs. dance?
[21:35] The development and significance of the IMAGO mask.
[24:44] Nicola reached out to Tamara from Germany in October. Since then, they’ve been working together in a professional capacity with Tamara as creative coach/witness/companion. Nicola talks about her expectations for that relationship and how it’s served her and the piece. Balloons!
[29:35] Self-care leading up to opening
[30:54] These are raw topics to wrestle with in front of an audience: “animal instincts contending with social constructions of femininity, ageing, and desire” and “the distance between what we are and what we imagine ourselves to be.” Why go there?
[33:27] What has Nicola learned during this process that would be helpful to others?
[34:30] What’s next for IMAGO? What’s next for Nicola?
[35:38] Thank you and sign-off
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