‘Hazards’ @ ATTPAC’s The Elevator Project (Artists Sans Frontières)

Graphic, photo courtesy of ATTPAC, Artists Sans Frontières

—Ramona Harper

Natural disasters from hurricanes, tsunamis, Texas-size tornadoes, and wildfires; man-made chaos created by conflict, violence, and the fog of war. At first glance, these seem unlikely thematic choices for a dance-theater production. In “Hazards,” however, Artists Sans Frontières creates powerfully palpable images of the resilience of the human spirit, boldly embracing human and natural devastation with grace, authenticity, and empathy in its mission to find a safe space for all.

A world premiere presented by ATTPAC at the Wyly Studio Theatre, “Hazards” is the second production of The Elevator Project’s 10th anniversary season—its mission to support new works by small, emerging, homegrown talent in the performing arts.

Titled for the eighteen actual natural hazards defined by FEMA, “Hazards” is a devised theatrical collaborative creation of eight dancer/actors who form the ensemble of Artists Sans Frontières (a creative linguistic expansion of the “Doctors without Borders” moniker), a nonprofit founded by Katie Burks, Executive Director, dancer, choreographer, and performer.

A Dallas native and graduate of the Booker T. Washington High School of the Performing Arts, Katie Burks began working in 2017 as a frontline volunteer with human relief agencies in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida.

Burks became so sensitized and conscientized to the needs of those forced to flee in displacement that she founded Artists Sans Frontières in 2022 in direct response to the Russian invasion into Ukraine. Her fast-forward mission is to meld outreach, enrichment, and entertainment with humanitarian advocacy on an international scale—as well as right here in Texas.

Starting with work in Poland to bring the performing arts to communities impacted by the ravages of war, ASF’s classes, workshops, performances and opportunities for performers have impacted over 1,500 forcibly displaced and economically underserved families and children, here in North Texas through its Title 1 School Programs, and both here and in other countries through its work with relief agencies such as the International Rescue Committee in Dallas and Catholic Charities Dallas, among other community partnerships.

The organization’s mission is to bring the arts to all, in the belief that the performing arts are essential and that all communities should have access to the arts regardless of time, place, or economic circumstances.

The production unfolds in two acts, incorporating monologues and dramatic storytelling from travelers and survivors, and infusing lyrical choreography and acrobatic dance movements. In Act 1, duos of male and female survivors of a catastrophic deluge, a heat wave, a drought and strong winds move to higher ground (literally and metaphorically) to find shelter. Bodies hurtle across the stage pulsating with the power of the wind itself. A small shelter side-stage is the scenic depiction (John Cann and Rodney Dobbs) of physically finding a safe space, but later doubles as the proverbial mountain to climb as dancers run and slide down in an expressive effort to find refuge.

In “Hazards,” the senses are fully engaged in an immersive experience of short film vignettes from actual natural disasters, realistic video projections (Lightware Labs), the sound design of haunting, cinematic music (Charles Seals), and choreographic artistry that depicts the struggle to get up, move forward and to strive for better times.

Performers writhe on the floor, and rise up with defiant hands raised above the head, sweeping the arms in big, grand gestures and jubilant cartwheels. But sometimes they run away from the chaos, then stop to consider the magnitude of their courageous quest and move forward in determined resolve to survive.

At times their movements express individual bewilderment, confusion and fear. Performers fall to the ground as if dying from the wounds of war. In unison, however, the dancers stand tall and support one another in gentle lifts, tenderly holding bodies pressed together, expressing the need for community and togetherness in overcoming tragic circumstances.

The production’s unrelenting intensity lightens in a beautiful wintry scene in Act 2, with snowflakes gently dropping from the actual ceiling, and a starry night sky lit from the stage as well as the ceiling of the Wyly Studio in an Imax-like experience of peace in the aftermath of a disaster (lighting design by Caroline Hodge). Snow angels delightfully spread their wings on the floor in response to the winter weather, and the joy of falling in love still beckons in the sweet connection between two lovers who dance in a brief respite from the conflict of war.

Burks has commented that she chose the performers more for their passion than sheer talent as actors or dancers. Half of the members of the group grew up or had families of origin in Colombia, Venezuela, Haiti, and Puerto Rico, places where tragic events and causes for displacement (from natural phenomena or political and social chaos) currently exist. Their passion, expressed through movement, is based on real-life experience and not just the demands of a dramatic production.

The storyline of “Hazards” is contemporary and reality-based as we confront the current devastation from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and the socially divisive discourse on immigration and political/economic asylum-seekers. Most of the devastation depicted in “Hazards” is human suffering caused by natural disasters (storms, flooding, earthquakes, avalanches) that are viscerally felt as real-time experiences—but the piece also encompasses, though less fully, the suffering caused by war.

The choreography is simple and somewhat repetitive in driving home the message of the physical and emotional toll of displacement. However, with the stark realities of war in many parts of the world that we are witnessing every day, the production’s message might have been heightened with a better balance between chaos caused by natural disasters and the chaos caused by man himself in war.

The overarching impact of “Hazards,” however, succeeds in its passionate effort to shine a light on the reality that everyone deserves a place to be safe.

THE PERFORMERS:
Katie Burks, Evelyn Randolphe, Gabriel Scampini, Guillermo Solarzano, Jaiquan Laurencin, Jean Carrio-Mendez, Niki Davis-Vohs, Marquenys (M.J.) Brice

WHEN: October 11-13, 2024

WHERE: Wyly Theatre, 2400 Flora St., Dallas

WEB: https://attpac.org/series/elevator-project and asf-ngo.org