the moon rises in four parts
Michaela Gerussi & Tracy Valcarcel
The moon rises in four parts documents a durational, site specific performance structured around the cyclical natural phenomenon of the tidal rhythms in at Five Islands Provincial Park in Nova Scotia, Canada. In accordance with the local tide times, we developed a repetitive practice of returning to the same geographical spot four times over a series of days. This project is part of a larger interdisciplinary research dealing with the process of familiarization with an unfamiliar space as expressed in the body.
Known for some of the highest tides in the world, the location we chose on the Bay of Fundy is an important component in this piece. Both of our work is directly informed by the subtle dynamics found both in the body and in natural environments. Our interest is in the use of video to heighten the expression of those dynamics and the way they interact.
With Tracy behind the camera and Michaela in front, we respond to the space in movement, building an ongoing dialogue with each other and our surrounding environment. Through this practice, together we establish a relationship with the space itself, inherent in the dance, the camera gaze and its accumulative expression.
Developed in Residency at Red Clay Arts, Nova Scotia