What is “infinity?” A reality? A mathematical concept? An imaginary thing?
Infinitum is an impressionist response that probes the mystery behind the philosophy of an infinite universe. Created by Melissa Major with the collective input of the original cast, the first production was choreographed by Faye Rauw with original music by the electric string orchestra Dr. Draw.
The concept, both through poetic texts and physical explorations, was influenced greatly by the scientific theories of relativity and string theory as well as the philosophical inquiries about infinity including physicist Brian Greene’s The Elegant Universe where he posits that because the universe (and all components of the universe such as human beings) is made up of an infinite number of particles and is infinitely large, there are (not could be, but are) parallel universes that are exactly the same as ours as well as ones with every possible variation. That means everything that you can imagine actually exists.
The creators took their own thoughts, images and ideas and pushed them into the abstract realm in which the concept of infinity exists. The final product contained interactive multimedia, circus components: aerial silks, hoop, magic, acrobatics and contortion; dance forms with influence from contemporary, lyrical, ballet, tap and butoh; as well as poetry that derived from the theories from the disciplines of physics and philosophy.
*“Dazzling! NNNNN” - Now Magazine
*“What is infinity? I don’t think anyone truly knows. But what is Infinitum? A visual spectacle that dares to ask the question anyway.” - Mooney on Theatre
*The performers’ depiction of the universe’s progress from uniformity to unlimited differentiation is simply dazzling. - Stage Door
Characters:
QUESTION: The invisible piques that surround everything. The unending unknowledge. The wanting and thirst for knowledge. Movements: Riddles, hip hop, creeps and questions.
iMAGICationEAM: The mixture of imagination, magic and dreams that makes everything we can think of possible. The essential ingredient to all fantasy. Movements: acrobatics and contortion, magical trickery, optical illusions.
WINZIA: The peaceful spirit of the sky. The entity in charge of making clouds. Movements: Pointe-dance and lyrical ranging from butoh staccato to graceful and flowing.
TORNADO: When equilibrium is off-balance, the Tornado crashes into Winzia’s work and darkens it, makes it dangerous. Movements: Aggressive tap-dance, never-ending fouettés, allusions and other turns.
NULIAJUK: The Inuit Goddess of the Sea. A sea-creature who controls all waters and all creatures within the waters. Movements: Throat singing, flips, leaps, poi.
FUGUE SOPHIE: The human, who in a disturbed state can reinvent itself entirely. A fugue state allows for the mind to completely recreate a new personality. The possibilities are endless as to what that new personality might be. Movements: low to the ground slithers, plank, pike rotations, rolls and floorwork. Until... she finds the air reinvents herself again.
Keywords: dance theatre, circus, spectacle, philosophy, physics, string theory, theory of relativity, universe, absurdism, surrealism
Year Printed: 2012
Running TIme: 90 minutes
Acts: 1
Cast: 6