“Terra: Bodies & Territories,” a work of experimental dance theater from Philadelphia-based choreographer and director Silvana Cardell, will transform the forest of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education into a stage for two weekends in June.
A multigenerational ensemble of women and femme dancers — ranging in age from 8-70 — will explore themes of ecofeminism in the performance, comparing shared vulnerabilities between women’s bodies and the environment. The Schuylkill Center received a $360,000 grant from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage to stage “Terra.”
Although rehearsals with the current ensemble began in December 2024, Cardell said she has been conceptualizing the idea for almost three years. Throughout this time, Cardell envisioned the performance in a natural environment.
“I want people to connect to the land through the body,” Cardell said. “I wanted the forest to be my collaborator.”
Adapting to nature
In order to collaborate with the forest, Cardell noted that everyone involved in “Terra” had to change their mindset.
“It’s wonderful to work [in nature], but it is very hard on the body,” Cardell said. “We’ve spent thousands of years creating shelters and going away from these places because it’s so hard to stay in it. But part of our training here is to stay in it, breathe it, and feel it.”
At first, performers were hesitant about bugs and dirt, wanting to control their environment. However, before long, they learned to embrace the space and become comfortable with their natural surroundings. Unlike a performance on a stage, “Terra” adapts with each show depending on changes in precipitation, wind, and lighting.
As with these cyclical patterns in nature, Cardell found similarities with the cycles of a woman’s life: from birth to death, and from celebration to mourning. “Terra” is specifically designed to have a nonlinear narrative; each dancer embodies a different phase of female life and their roles are constantly shifting.
Cardell was also inspired by ecofeminist parallels between the oppression of women and the desecration of the environment.
“[The performance shows] my point of view about what it is like to live in a body that is targeted all the time,” Cardell said. “How do we compare this territory that we inhabit in our bodies with the land that is also at risk?”
Designing the performance
Along with Cardell, a talented cast of artists worked together to create “Terra,” including Sarah Kavage as set designer, Devin Arne as sound designer, and Blanka Zizka as dramaturg.
Kavage, who has experience with ecological visual art, used the natural land as a set. For instance, one sculpture in the show is carved from a wooden branch into the shape of a feminine hand with painted fingers. Another element of the set is a hole dug in the ground, out of which — similar to a plant’s growth — a dancer emerges. All of the props impose a minimal environmental impact.
To create the score for the performance, Arne recorded noises heard in nature over the course of a year. This process was both passive and active; at times he recorded the flowing water of the Schuylkill River with a hydrophone, a microphone made for use underwater. At other times, he tapped on a tree branch to see what noises it would make. During the performances, multiple battery-powered speakers will amplify the sounds in all directions to reach the entire audience.
Zizka, who cofounded the Wilma Theater in Center City, previously worked with Cardell and helped further shape the director’s ideas.
“Because I’m coming from a theater and storytelling world, I am helping … not to give it a linear story, because that’s not what she’s doing, but to give it a little bit more clarity,” Zizka said. “I got involved at the very beginning, before even the dancers were hired for the performance, and we were just talking about what she imagined. What is driving her to do this piece? What kind of visual images does she have for it? What is the inspiration? And then out of that, we create a structure.”
Connecting to the environment
In addition to the challenges nature poses to the performers, audiences of “Terra” also must adapt. Attendees are encouraged to sit on logs or bring their own blanket. In case of inclement weather, the Schuylkill Center has a contingency plan for rescheduling the performances.
In addition to providing entertainment, Cardell said she wants “Terra” to make a difference.
“I hope that the piece brings more audiences and more people to the Schuylkill Center, and more people understand the urgency of our need to connect to the environment and protect it,” Cardell said. “We take it for granted. We need to protect it.”
“Terra: Bodies & Territories” will be performed at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in Roxborough (8480 Hagy’s Mill Rd.), June 13-15 and June 20-22. To see a full list of performance times, visit schuylkillcenter.org.
Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.
