Event

Choke

Shawn Bible Dance Co. presents Choke, a dance framed by the Great London Smog of 1952. On December 5-7, 1952, a massive dark sulfuric and hydrochloric acid blob enveloped the sun. With more than 12,000 lives taken, pollution is said to be cause of the thick black air. Distance became an issue for people who could no longer see more than a foot in front of them. The physicality of the body confined to minimal languages necessary for navigation and survival. The norm became depressed states of being, sickness, warped postures, and ghostly silhouettes against a soot sky. Consumption versus environment, regulation versus freedom, and safety versus business are contrasting forces that will drive the choreography. Choke is visceral and beautifully quirky in terms of phrase work. Choke balances human sensation with raw physical power to convey sudden breathlessness for four days in London.