Dancing on the Edge
O.Dela Arts and musica intima

Where You Go

When & Where June 11 and June 12 @ 9pm | The Firehall Arts Centre

Concept, Choreography, Costume, and Performance Olivia C. Davies Dramaturge Raina Von Waldenburg Outside Eye Savannah Walling Lighting Design Jonathan (Jono) Kim

Dancers Sophie Dow, Brandon Schwinn Vocalists musica intima

Reviewer Nancie Ottem
"Where you go, where you stay, where you live, where you die." musica intima intoned this phrase throughout Where You Go. Such beautiful harmony by eleven vocalists soothed and propelled the dancers, Sophie Dow and Brandon Schwinn, in their dance of a love doomed.

The physical and facial expressions emanating from the dancers’ movements conveyed the sense of passionate longing, sheer love and the torment of an inevitable loss. Inspiration for the choreography in any program comes from a variety of sources. In this instance, the inspiration for Where You Go was drawn from Ernest Hemingway’s novel, A Farewell to Arms. It is the story of an American soldier serving in the ambulance corps of the Italian army during the First World War. He falls in love with an English nurse but their romance is doomed due to the complications of war and the vagaries of human nature.

The sorrow and complexity of the story was conveyed with a deep sense of emotion by the dancers. Through their movements they brought to life the complications inherent in this relationship and the gamut of emotions felt by the two lovers.

The combining of a choral performance and the dance by Dow and Schwinn was a winning combination. The voices of the singers gave depth to the overall effect of the piece and through the lyrics added insight into the story.

 

© 2026 Nancie Ottem