Fighting suicide, one fold of paper at a time
Leslie Kimiko Ward
1,000 Cranes
8 p.m. Friday through Saturday, Aug. 24-25 at Out North Art House (3800 DeBarr Road)
$25 general admission; $20 students, military, and seniors
Tickets on sale at Centertix.net
Visit www.outnorth.org for more information
Posted: Thursday, August 23, 2012 1:56 pm | Updated: 2:59 pm, Thu Aug 23, 2012.
Choreographer Leslie Kimiko Ward’s first performance piece may be one of the most intriguing philosophy seminars out there, full of origami lessons, seaweed kelp impersonations, powerful photographs and thought-provoking questions.
The story has resonated around the world: a dance teacher travels to a remote Alaskan village, witnesses a death that shakes the tight-knit community, encourages her class to make 1,000 paper cranes, which ultimately gives her students something peaceful to do and encourages the town to find joy in each other during a hard time.
The full-length script developed from Under 30, a projected hosted by the Out North Contemporary Art House, where artists can dabble in arts outside their genre. Ward is a choreographer, and while dancing plays a role here, most of its power comes from the interplay of a live camera, a large screen projecting her movements, and Ward’s acting.
Ward said she chose this arrangement because it seemed like the best fit for the message she wanted to convey about contemporary communication—namely, that it can be very difficult to feel connected to anything in the incessant and unstable images social media offers.
“I gave myself great permission to use whatever medium made sense,” Ward said in an interview. “I didn’t want to censor myself. (The choice of medium) didn’t seem like reason to put in an arbitrary barrier to how to address the message.”
It quickly became clear that video blogging was the best way to tell about her stay in Saint Michael. It provided continuity, authenticity, and a surprising amount of humor for a story whose epicenter is death and suicide.
Ward said she aims to serve the community and individuals rather than adhere to arbitrary standards of “good art.”
Most art nowadays claims some social function. Ward’s is perhaps rare in that the social function came first, then the art.
“Community is what inspired the idea in the first place,” Ward said.
Indeed Ward is a here and now person. She said her biggest inspirations are local artists because she can know them as people first, and then on another level as artists. This includes Panwar, the band whose music accompanied the pictures and films during the performance.
Throughout the performance Ward encourages questions, like any good teacher, hoping the student (or audience member) can find the solutions to sort out their own life.
The play opens with Ward trying to check up on an anonymous caller. She tries to reach him or her through every technological medium possible—computer, phone, Facebook, texting. The person does not reply at the beginning or the end of the performance. She eventually texts them “I’m here if you need me.” The performance has a ton of themes, but this—I’m here if you need me—Is Ward’s real message.
Ward has lived in Alaska 10 years, and each year, she said, someone she’s been close to has committed suicide. The project and the performance of 1,000 cranes is her effort to stop that trend from continuing.
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