“Hi My Name Is...And I’m A(n)...”
Created for Norwegian National Ballet Koreografihuset 2017.
The verses in the music having a call and response action where Dylan sings a question addressed to someone sympathetically and then answers himself as another person, brought to mind a similar interaction found in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. This led to the idea of having each answering verse represented by a dancer, talking through movement about their experiences. During the questioning lyrics the group would move together in circular patterns, then a dancer would step out to share their dance as the others observed. The expectation of heavy rainfall in the chorus as a metaphor for a tenacious approach to struggle helped conclude each solo, as the dancer returned to the group, bolstered after having shared their experiences.
In order to bring the rain from the music to the stage, disposable plastic cups filled with varied amounts of water were placed along the front and back of the stage, suggesting a leaky roof under a downpour. It also allowed the dancers to, at times, interact with the cups, creating new metaphors as the meaning of the water shifted from caught rain and crocodile tears to a cleansing and washing away of troubles.