Director, choreographer, and filmmaker Kisa Li:
Forms 形 is a dance film inspired by the ancient Chinese cosmological system of the Five Phases (五行)—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each phase manifests through kinesthetic, ecological, and cinematic forces, with movement, cinematography, and environment unfolding as interdependent, living systems. Through the lens, we witness the body’s transformation as it moves through cycles of balance, tension, rupture, and renewal—its shifting forms dissolving, regenerating, and renegotiating their relationship to the surrounding world. Through the life cycles of the Five Phases, the film reveals an Eastern understanding of fluid identity—not as a fractured self, but as an ongoing transformation between forms.
CETI draws inspiration from Project CETI's efforts to decode the language of sperm whales, a process that may allow us to speak with them. The collaboration between composer, Colin Kemper, and choreographer, Kate Fleming, began with a conversation about the world we wanted to live in; one where open communication contributes to our collective understanding of one another. The music incorporates the rhythmic clicking patterns of whale song through fast stepwise motion, subtle pitch shifts, and layered rhythms. Using an expanded flocking score with choreographed gestures, the performers listen, react, and communicate with one another. This piece is our effort to build that world, even if only for a short time.
Wormwood is collaboration with choreographer and filmmaker, Kate Fleming. It explores themes of depression and the inner dialogue of someone navigating suicidal ideation.
Side Effects May Include, choreographed by Kate Fleming, investigates the layers of misogyny and how its effects are inscribed onto the body. Drawing from the language of pharmaceutical warnings—specifically those listed on birth control—the piece reframes side effects not just as physical symptoms, but as emotional and cultural conditions women are taught to manage in silence. Through a landscape of everyday gestures—scratching an itch, adjusting a bra, checking for pain—the work explores how bodies are constantly read, misunderstood, and policed. The piece features an original score by Colin Kemper, a composer whose work centers mental wellness, emotional intimacy, and vulnerability.