Blood of the Earth is eMartin Dance’s newest work steeped in the textures of the Southern United States as experienced by the choreographer in childhood. The opening image, inspired by the work of North Carolina based visual artist Thomas Sayer, mimics the way in which Erika first experienced Sayer’s work White Gold in a museum setting – each earth cast lay in pools of light and seemed alive in their rows, reclining in a field. The stage opens on this likeness, and the first dancer emerges from a field of reclined bodies with movement developed in dialog with Sayre. The dance unfolds in three distinct sections defined by the characteristics of mud, water, and finally blood. The piece invites the audience to witness a new perspective on life outside of their own community and resonate with the images of land and body.

CHOREOGRAPER: Erika Martin

CAST: Nieya Amezquita, Lu Chen, Lily Conforti, Kaitlin Craven, Shannon Hartle Dolan, Olivia Geffre, Zoë Koenig, Kae McMahon, Monica Merino, AyM, Brenna Mosser, Lauren Reed, Mary Mailand Schlichting

LIGHTING DESIGNER: Kai Deutsch-Frost

VISUAL DESINGER: Nancy Julia Hicks