Experiencing Interruptions?

Imaginarium: Ghost Antler

"Imaginarium: Ghost Antler" is a contemporary dance film about the relationship with nature and the process of facing one's own vulnerability. What does your relationship with nature say about you? Are you willing to take a deep look inwards?

This dance work is a reflection of a movement research process that was an honest look inwards for me, being willing to take a risk and sit with experiences that can be uncomfortable, painful, or confusing, but with a singular goal in mind: through exploration of what vulnerability means, physically and psychologically, to better understand myself and to better understand how I can continue to forge authentic relationships in this world – with myself, with other people, with nature - even during a pandemic. This dance film is a physical, movement narrative of a personal journey into vulnerability as a path to connection and the uncovering, discarding, opening, unfolding, and all the other movements that a process of being willing to be vulnerable calls for.

  • Alina Sotskova
    Choreography & Performance
  • Alina Sotskova
    Artistic Direction
  • Idan Cohen
    Artistic Advisor
  • Chris Giles
    Music
  • Gemma Crowe
    Cinematography and Creative Edit
  • Jason Kirkness
    Second Camera and Shoot Assistant
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Experimental, Dance, Performance Art, Interdisciplinary
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 1, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    1,562 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography

Alina Sotskova is a professional dancer and choreographer, working with a neoclassical, contemporary dance framework. She uses movement as a vehicle to explore the psychological and philosophical questions she is interested in. In her dance practice, Alina’s focus is on integrating physical rigour, experiential approach to movement, and continued goal of finding new movement possibilities. The aim of her dance-making is to push boundaries of imagination and physicality and to stimulate authentic dialogues in the community using performance art as a starting point for conversation. Alina holds a PhD in clinical psychology and her work in depth psychology influences Alina’s artistic practice. Her previous studies in existential philosophy and her career in psychology continue to create spaces for intersections between psychology, philosophy, dance, and other art forms. In 2017, Alina founded Voirelia: Dance, Psychology, and Philosophy Hub. The goal of Voirelia Hub is to be a platform that allows dance artists to collaborate and create work in an atmosphere that strongly values mental health, humanistic psychology and philosophy, and interdisciplinary collaboration with artists, scholars, and scientists. Voirelia Hub creates new contemporary dance and art works and also creates and produces events that bring together the topics of psychology, philosophy, and dance in workshops, public talks, and performance art events.

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Director Statement

Movement research for this work began in March 2020, during COVID-19-related self-isolation and continued through 2020, culminating in this film.

I associate nature with calm. Following the pandemic and the strong emotions that arrived with it, I was craving more of a sense of inner calm and stability. Unfortunately, many places and activities in nature that usually are calming have changed to being frustrating, anxiety-provoking, or unavailable during the early pandemic months, evoking a sense of longing for a sense of peace and calm. At the same time, I recognized that a calmer inner experience can only result from taking a risk and delving into my own vulnerability to better understand the experiences and sensations of my body and mind.

Very early on in my life, I developed a connection with nature and a connection with imagination. These were safe places to exist and explore, full of wonder and curiosity. In this stressful time, the yearning for that sense of 'home' and safety it brings was even stronger than usual. In this work, I am exploring what it really means for something that symbolizes home to feel disrupted/disconnected. Join me on a journey of delving into vulnerable states and experiences. This project is a very personal process for me, peeling back the layers of myself through movement, sensation, and embodied awareness. I see vulnerability as a powerful tool that supports empathy and connection and I hope this work invites others to ask themselves personal questions and get to know themselves on a deeper level.