Steam | EIGHT/MOVES

Choreography: Mia J. Chong, KT Nelson, and the Company
Dancers (7 dancers): Kira Fargas, Cora Cliburn, Lani Yamanaka, William Brewton Fowler Jr., Crystaldawn Bell, Colin Frederick, Allyson Chin
Score: CelloGayageum & Various Artists
Costumes: Colin Frederick
Full length: 26 minutes

Co-choreographed by Mia J. Chong and KT Nelson, Steam is an exploration of the impact of climate change on human anxiety and behavior. Extreme weather conditions can be clear signs of the changing natural world, and Steam examines the tipping point when we, as a people, can no longer ignore these shifts and must decide how to collectively move forward into the unknown. This piece also captures an intergenerational conversation about environmentalism. Coming from very different generations and cultural backgrounds, Mia and KT had meaningful conversations about the evolution of research, ingenuity, stubbornness, and hope within their respective communities. EIGHT/MOVES partnered with Artists Climate Collective for a discussion on climate change art and how Mia and KT approached rigorous physicality, emotional truths, and spreading awareness about the climate crisis through Steam.

From Jill Randall’s review:
“The choreography is big and full, taking my breath away. Two moments linger with me. One is in the middle of dance; the fog is low. The ensemble is in the clouds. They are in flux yet somehow held too in this moment. Second, there is a duet with Lani Yamanaka and Colin Frederick. The relationship is heart wrenching to witness. I feel transition, loss…Whether the piece is about personal loss or climate change, Steam’s beautiful rolling soundtrack of numerous pieces of music - and a strong sense of musicality, rhythms, and punctuation in the choreography - created a multisensory world to see, hear, feel, and think from my seat in the audience.”

The piece premiered in EIGHT/MOVES Season 1 on August 16, 2024 at Z Space Theater.