June 13, 2022RCA Presents: Body Extended - An Interview with Emmalena Fredriksson

Click above to watch our interview with artist Emmalena Fredriksson.

Body Extended, coming to the Mary Irwin Theatre June 19th, is a dance performance showcase featuring original interdisciplinary works from performers Emmalena Fredriksson and Jessica McMann. Each piece questions the limits of the human body, exploring how it stretches into the world through its relationships with both land and technology. Our Theatre Programming Coordinator Karma Lacoff Nieoczym sat down with artist Emmalena Fredriksson, UBC Associate Professor Bob Pritchard, and Bachelor of Computer Science/Masters of Music and Violin Performance student Daniel Tsui to dicuss the collaborative effort that is Ecdysis, of which the title means the reptilian process of shedding skin. 

Emmalena is a contemporary dance artist living and working in Vancouver, Canada. Often working in collaborative interdisciplinary settings, Emmalena and Bob, who teaches music technology, with most of his recent work involving interactive performances, started brainstorming together, throughout the pandemic, how to create an electronic spine. Wanting to transform this piece into an interdisciplinary performance with lights, sounds, and touch sensors, the two recruited the help of Daniel to, quite literally, bring Ecdysis to life. Daniel played a critical role in the production of Ecdysis - creating the technology and custom code for the spine. The wearable belt-like structure has 148 LED lights inside, capable of producing a tremendous amount of effects.  

“We engage with technology on a daily basis, it keeps changing and evolving so fast and it's actually so much a part of us already… As this costume developed it was fascinating to me that the identity of the Cyborg came from this adaptation of my body.” says Emmalena. “We say if someone is ‘spineless’ they lack courage, so with the giant spine, it was giving me courage, I felt very empowered.” 

Wearing the spine is no easy task, but because of this, Emmalena feels that sense of empowerment even more. “This is not soft and cuddly” says Emmalena, “I am getting the courage to have the fight, to stand up for myself and for my body.” Like many sci-fi films, such as Frankenstein, the creature is gaining its own agency, rebelling against its master.  

Music is crucial in this piece. This very powerful score, done by Filip Górecki, matches the lighting changes in the spine, creating a fully immersive experience. It fills the space with pulsing metallic sounds, emphasized by the tense movements of the Cyborg. “The sound is carrying the Cyborg” says Bob, “This isn't quiet introspective music, let's put it that way”. 

“There's things that I have to move through, there's things that I have to stand up for in myself that I have not had the courage to do… Somehow having this other identity [the Cyborg] to do so is the technology opening up a space that isn't possible without” Says Emmalena. Over the course of its creation, this piece transformed into a visceral metaphor for self-discovery and empowerment. This live sci-fi experience allows viewers to question established biases about gender, power, and technology. This will truly be a one-of-a-kind performance you won't want to miss! We are excited to welcome Emmalena Fredriksson to the Mary Irwin Theatre along with Jessica McMann for their works in Body Extended! Tickets to the show are still available, so grab your seat today. https://rotarycentreforthearts.com/events/event/121202/ 


RCA Presents: Body Extended - An Interview with Emmalena Fredriksson