Amherst College Residency
Dissolving Edges: An evening of dance in the Russian Center
Sept 29, Sept 30, & Oct 1, 2023 Amherst Center for Russian Culture, Amherst, MA
Dissolving Edges Residency
Maya was invited for a choreographic residency at Amherst College, for which she produced and directed 3 sold-out shows to celebrate the newly renovated Amherst Center for Russian Culture. The show featured two pieces, the first of which, Varvara, was choreographed and performed by Professor Jenna Riegel. Varvara is a response to Alexander Rodchenko’s photograph “Performing Furniture” (1922), featuring constructivist artist, Varvara Stepanova. For the second piece, Maya premiered Thaw, featuring original choreography, music, and footage from Lake Baikal in Siberia.
Thaw
Thaw focuses on finding beauty in the unexpected, inspired by the symbolism of Lake Baikal, a massive, ancient lake located in the heart of Siberia.
The event was conceived of by Professor and Director of the Amherst Center for Russian Culture, Michael Kunichika. The production, whose purpose was to celebrate the center, world-renowned for its collection of rare books, art, and manuscripts, was sponsored by the Russian Culture Fund of the Amherst Center for Russian Culture. The success of the performances hinged on the tremendous support provided by the Amherst College Theater & Dance and Russian Departments, their faculty and staff.
Credits
Dancers: Chloe London, Maya LaLiberte, Sienna Jessurun, Yang Sun, and Warren Wang.
Original sound score by Jake Meginsky
Original footage of Lake Baikal by Ruslan Nepalec
Filmed by Julian Brown
All photos of Dissolving Edges were taken by Derek Fowles
The location and enormity of Lake Baikal - which is the largest, deepest, oldest existing lake (~25 million years old) in the world - speaks to the idea of undefined borders. This is exemplified both by its location in Siberia, whose borders are more clearly defined culturally and historically than they are politically, and the ever-changing state of Lake Baikal’s waters as they shift from frozen to liquid throughout the seasons. While today Siberia has become synonymous with exile, gulags, forced labor, cold and death, Baikal is a symbol of the lesser known Siberia - one with a unique culture and people like the Buryat Shamans who have worshiped at the lake's shores for centuries, gorgeous natural resources, and a wildly fascinating history.