A Waulking Song
A duet between dancer and musician explores the varying tempos of ‘Waulking Songs,’ originally written to accompany the work of women when preparing the cloth in the Scottish Highlands by beating it rhythmically against a hard surface to soften it. Choreographically, the traditional folk dance of stepping patterns found in both English Morris and Scottish highland dance are actualised in ballet vocabulary, while the visual component is a modern interpretation of Tartan patterns associated with Scottish culture and interwoven with a Japanese influence.
Originally created for Counterpointe 8 as part of Norte Maar's annual platform for women choreographers and visual artists exploring the use of pointe work. 'A Waulking Song' premiered at the Marc O'Donnell Theatre, Brooklyn, New York in March 2020.
It succeeded as a movable and fluid tether between dancer and musician and, more broadly between folk traditions, classical ballet and contemporary performance
Amy Beth Wright - The New Criterion NYC
