When New York City–based dancer Dan Lai began choreographing Figure 8, he had a specific vision in mind. Inspired by a song by FKA Twigs, he wanted the movement to represent the music’s “dark and twisted vibe.” “My thought process was to make shapes and phrases that were abstract and unique that complimented the intricate beats of the music,” he says.
Lai, who has taught at Broadway Dance Center and Peridance, also had a bigger concept in mind: female empowerment. The two contemporary dancers featured in the piece, Youlmae Kim, of iKADA Contemporary Dance Company, and Becca Corrigan, of Nadine Bommer Dance Company, were both up for the challenge. The eager dancers immediately jumped into rehearsals.
Filmed and edited by Jenna Maslechko, Figure 8 is danced in an all-white room with a single window at The Alchemical Studios. The stark space highlights the dancers’ war paint–like makeup and simple attire.
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