Pillar of Salt is one of several new experimental ballets by Choreopera. Composed and choreographed by Dan, danced by Adrienne Fisher, with Alma Cielo on violin, vocals and electric guitar by the composer, the sounds were captured in real time and only altered in that the audio of the city, Brooklyn, and the wind, which swept down and through the roof of one of the tallest buildings, were attenuated to explosive levels rather than their natural state which was overwhelming.
The music was mastered at maximum gain, and because the guitar was burying the violin (a rare occasion if you have ever heard Alma Cielo play), Dan ran it through two pitch shifters on separate faders, thus grabbing her high frequencies and creating the sense of sonic doom on some of the sustains.
After much experiment, the decision was made to use the percussive-explosive wind-dominated camera audio rather than trying to use effects or other means to render the destruction of two cities by fire and brimstone.
Set your volume control to around 4. The idea is not to be subtle. God gave us the perfect set and lighting, and the percussive-explosives may be the greatest dramatic gift of all.
But attenuate your volume sliders; the percussive-explosives can also tear your head, along with your precious ears, right off.
We were fortunate also to have made this video in a universe with the artists who painted these beautiful, whacked out murals and sprayed strategic graffitti all over the place. Any of you who see these videos, please write and identify your work. We will add appropriate credit and will send you stills, including detail at your request.
This is part one of a six part music video, some of which is also on youtube for now.
Little is known of the character Adrienne Fisher dances so well here.
In Genesis, the patriarch, Lot, is given several chances to find even one good man (or, we presume, woman) in the city of Sodom, a metropolis of the most perverse sexual desires and practices, including things we would now consider prison sex---gang rape, extreme gender alterations.
Sodomy in Sodom. The original.
We know a mob wanted sex with two angels of the Lord. We know they were blinded while breaking down Lot's door to get at them. We know God told Lot to escape with his family to the mountains. And don't look back.
Lot's wife looked back, and was turned into a pillar of salt.
The concept of looking back, particularly into the messes of human relationships, runs through the entire present Choreopera, a series of several music videos, a multi-sequential motion picture, a novel, and a screenplay about the eventual genocidal 21st Century War.
Archeologically, these cities (even less is known of the sister burg, Gomorrah, other than its people were at least equally depraved and violent) were on the eastern shore of the Red Sea.
Dan's vision of Lot's wife was that she was actually a closet bad girl, and rather than looking back in "compassion," as the voice over states in our Broadway-show song version, she is merely missing the action.
As with most biblical subjects, particularly those in the Old Testament, there are literally thousands of possible interpretations.
Lot and his two daughters kept climbing. Eventually, because as far as they knew, the three of them were the only humans alive, the daughters conspired to get their father, Lot, drunk, and they then had sex with him so the species might live on.
Seems noble in a way, but everything in scripture is about matters of faith, and lives of Spirit, much much more than anything about life on Earth.
Cutting the whole Choreopera, which basically means dance and song, not the other way around, will take at least through summer 08 if not the whole year or more. Thus, out website is not operational at this writing. We do have a blog, and it will see more action during April 08. Choreopera.blogspot.
We are also looking for input from performers, writers, computer freaks and computer artists, and anyone who is interested in playing an internet card game, similar in concept to Tarot, but based on the images and characters in these videos. Choreot.
Choreopera@yahoo.com.
Tags: Ballet. Modern dance. progressive rock. the book of genesis. anonymphity. adrienne jean fisher. alma cielo. Brooklyn.
