Like a hall of mirrors, each element is a mirror in which the other elements can be seen. Reflections of reflections – to stimulate new ways to experience each of those elements. The goal is to create moments of ecstatic suspension that the audience must resolve, individually and collectively. A synthesis of emotion. A shared story.

At the heart of dress.code is the iconic poem by T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men, and two pieces by Erik Satie, Gymnopedie 2 and Sarabande 2.

The works from Satie and Eliot’s are separated by the 1st World War, but linked by Modernism. Both dismantle traditional forms, but Satie expresses the hopefulness and expansion of the 1890s, whereas Eliot reflects the darkness and horror of WW1.

This contrast creates a dynamic, a tension – each work offering a new way to hear the other.

The dance and costumes hope to excavate notions of gender, and make up the final mirrors in the hall.

And there’s a puppet.

JIM BARNARD was born in London where he trained as a dancer, then relocated to Amsterdam where he worked with many of the inspiring choreographers based there before moving into puppetry and touring his own work internationally.

VIV LA VAV is a musician and composer born on the island of Jersey who is now based in Berlin.
Find Viv on Instagram