not with a bang but with a sigh

Deborah Slater Dance Theater Residency 2023


I came here to let you what’s next

whats coming soon … to news channels and papers and whispering mouths

I won’t name it directly, We’ll just call it (snaps fingers) for now.

You will choose to forget my words and replace that space with an abyss. But the day things start to shift - your picture of reality that is - you’ll remember that I came to let you know what’s next

I’m not telling you to do anything that requires fight or flight. What I see is beautiful - inevitable.

I’ll experience it just like you, In that way I’m not special. We’ll both feel it shake our humanity and the ground under our cold feet. Gorgeous.


It goes like this:

The birds will fly like smoke.

Every passing person will hold eye contact.

Barometric pressure will shift to an all time low.

The game will be rigged.

you will see something and say nothing

The newscaster will faint on air.

even the sidewalk will buckle

you will dream about basking in red light

A glass will shatter at a toast

baggage will be left unattended

The lights will flicker.

someone will shake your hand and say ‘you’re beautiful’

The traffic will finally stop

The sky will turn that color - you know - that color that to this day is unnamed.



say i am you

Post:ballet Season 13 commission, 2022


say it begins with me walking in a circle, and you watching me

say the moon has rotted

say she was waiting to be watched

say i don’t know how this pattern happens

say its dissolving

say nothing

say what it is to be alive right now

say i am you

Say ….. Well, you say I am…

Say it begins in the brightest part of the room, close to the front, near you, watching me.

Say I believe in gravity,

Say man and his symbols, say bud of my anxiety, say you cannot sing,

Say you're exploring ecological resistance on a local level,

Say what it’s missing, say the science of life,

Say it’s a paradigm shift, say it’s the cartography of the body,

Say who made the map, say the moon has rotted.

Say she was waiting to be watched.

Say I don’t know how this pattern happens, say its dissolving,

Say nothing.

Say it begins with me walking in a circle, and you watching me.

Say I believe in gravity,

Say man and his symbols, say bud of my anxiety, say you cannot sing,

Say you're exploring ecological resistance on a local level,

Say what it’s missing, say the science of life,

Say it’s a paradigm shift, say it’s the cartography of the body,

Say who made the map,

Say from now on I’m going to have fun.

Say what it is to be alive right now.

Say it ends with us mouthing the words.

Say it now.

I’ll say it now. Or another time, when we can be more private- and you’ll say “the day the flower unfolded and morning blossomed when you opened your soul to the world dreaming of the place i am standing now, the world where I say i am you.”

You say who i am.

But say I got tired and resorted to heroism.

Say every word I speak will change your perception of what happens next.

Say we dissolved.

Say “I want the beginning, only the beginning.” 


x dance 

BODYSONNET season 3, 2022

text is an erasure poem from 10 years of rejection letters.



Many thanks

With respect to your artistic inform you that we will not

We wish the best for you for your

We want to sincerely thank

After intense deliberation finalised and we regret to inform you have not been

apologise

the large number of applicants

decision.

Thank you for sharing with us

You will find more

success in

We would thank you

We regret to inform you that make it into the

As you know are invited competition and we

However, we would again for next year

projects.

Vielen Dank

very much

a lot of respect for former work and experience

Unfortunately, you don’t fit at the moment, and we won’t invite you

sorry to have no better news for you.

It was a pleasure reviewing grateful for the time and effort you put into you

our team did not select you to continue

process

again your interest

with hope you touch. wish you all

in your future.

report that we are not offer you

difficult indeed.

In the meantime

thank you for interest in

**Please do not respond

request to review.

After a thorough analysis of your

has determined your opportunity

however, are unable respond favourably

greatly appreciate

further success

for having

First and foremost, I like to

Even though may come negative

welcome contact in the future.

vacant

your application.

inform you in spite of

appreciate your interest and you every success

attending inform you in spite of

attending

feel free

you for dedicating passion and

Dear applicant

registration was one.

carefully selection

acceptance into been exceptionally

more difficult. We regret you that you

continue to share enthusiasm

This is a pity

We are very sorry to

you that your

had a very strong applicants year. In curating

that we are unable to invite you

of the 402

Unfortunately, the limited

Please note that while we unable to provide

appreciate the effort in the opportunity

the personal commitment

extremely fortunate this

appreciate your hard work application

we inform 11,000

his decision was not easy

We hope that you

Unfortunately, we were not able

encourage you to with us again

Please understand the volume

are sorry to inform

were difficult

again for your interest

All the best’

Sincerely,

the best,

Best,

Yours

Sincerely yours

yours sincerely,

Regards -

truly

Much love