What drives research in science and in art? Curiosity? Uncertainty? Creativity? Perseverance? What are the similarities and differences between scientific and artistic research processes? How do people from different fields establish a shared language, common goals, and shared values? In Far From Equilibrium, a choreographer, a composer, and a physicist work together with artists and engineers to explore these questions.
The first half of the evening is our creative investigation: a 20-minute modern dance accompanied by original music. Both the dance and the music explore turbulence, a chaotic twisting and stretching of fluid studied by fluid dynamics. Turbulence is in most places in the universe: in cream stirred into coffee, in the raging, swirling flames of forest fires on Earth, and even in massive explosions of energy from the surface of our Sun. However, this chaotic, complex, unstable fluid phenomenon is mysterious, even to the scientists who study it. Both the movement and the music interpret the fundamental motions of turbulence, recombining them into new, intuitive forms. We invite audiences to immerse themselves in the beauty of turbulence and to consider uncertainty, complexity, and how motion underlies form.
In the second half of the evening, we invite you to join our research and carry out your own exploration. Enter our immersive research environment, filled with physics, dance, and music activities. Ask your own questions about the double pendulum, generate your own turbulent flow, improvise your own turbulence dance, or write your own composition. Question the show's dancers, musicians, and creators. Record your impressions on our question boards. Work with other audience members to create a piece of art. Unleash your curiosity and experience research, creativity and collaboration in a whole new way.
Thank you to all of our great audiences! Our 2016 Far From Equilibrium performance series is over.
Far From Equilibrium was performed at Links Hall, a performing arts venue in Chicago, on June 24, 25, and 26th. We also performed three times in July of 2016 at the 12th Street Beach as a part of Chicago's 2016 Night Out in the Parks series.
Missed the show? Check out our YouTube Channel! We'll be posting even more videos in the coming months.
Choreography | Megan Rhyme |
Physics | Elizabeth Hicks |
Music | Roger Zare |
Interactive Research Environment | Megan Rhyme Elizabeth Hicks Roger Zare Mary Wu Nick Marchuk Steve Tarzia Andy Hudson Brandon Waybright David Sopchik |
Dance Ensemble | Chrissy Martin Gretchen Soechting Sara Nelson Monica Carrow Eve Chalom megan amal Stephanie Anderson Jessica Morales |
Musicians | Andy Hudson Brady Richards Manuel Ramos Conner Ray |
Lighting Design | Jacob Snodgrass |
Dance Ensemble Alumni | Mary Wu Sarah Gottlieb Kathryn Hetrick Jacqueline Dennis |
Special Thanks To : Krissy Rhyme, Carol Scott, Brittany Hudson, Brittany Faith Photography, Alexandra Dee, Mark Diaz, the Links Hall staff, the Chicago Park District, Danielle Littman, C2ST, Andrea Poet, Chicago Tech Month, Melanie Adcock, Tech Scene Chicago, Lumpen Radio, Metromix, Northwestern Science in Society, Sara Grady, Rebecca Daugherty, Chicago Reader, Sunshine Tucker, Chicago Artists Resource
American Physical Society Catherine D. Hicks and Ben Y. Hicks Night Out in the Parks Gary and Priscilla Sopchik Richard N. Zare Al and Val Lee Michael and Joan Zare Anne and Buck Rhyme Beverly Lau Frances Scott | Joe Germuska Loretta Jones Carol Scott Ginger Jensen Andrew Zare Laura Cruise Anonymous Jamieson Rhyme Margo Rhyme |
Catherine D. Hicks and Ben Y. Hicks Victoria Lyman/Allegro Dance Boutique Anne and Buck Rhyme Catherine Q. Hicks and Steve Guptill Gary and Priscilla Sopchik Derin Kenny and Dan Ellman Janice Jennings and Bill Rhyme Nancy Rhyme and Jim Carpenter Margo Rhyme and Ron Frager Ginger Jensen | Therese Hetrick Margot Toppen Janet Schmid Carol Scott John Everett Rachel Damon Kristina Fluty Eleanor Sharp Julie Brannen Chih-Hsien Lin |
Megan Rhyme is a dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist based in Chicago. She has performed as a contemporary dancer with Chicago artists such as Synapse Arts Collective, Salty Lark Dance, Renegade Dance Architects, Nicole Gifford Dance, Janet Schmid, 3 card molly, and Jonathan Meyer. Her choreography has been produced by The Chicago Fringe Festival, The Field Chicago and Links Hall. She has worked with notable art integration programs such as Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education, the Auditorium Theater’s ArtsXChange, and Dancing With Class, Inc. You can find more about her work at www.rhymedance.com.
Elizabeth P. Hicks is a research scientist and the founder of Epsilon Delta Labs (www.epsilondeltalabs.org), a new research collective focused on interdisciplinary exploration. She specializes in interdisciplinary research at the boundary between astrophysics and fluid dynamics, studying problems where simulations of pure fluid phenomena can inform astrophysical research. In her research, Elizabeth has used both theoretical methods and large-scale numerical simulations. She also loves science+art collaborations.
Roger Zare’s colorfully descriptive music is often inspired by science, nature, mathematics, and mythology, and he has been praised for his “enviable grasp of orchestration” (New York Times) and for writing music with “formal clarity and an alluringly mercurial surface.” Zare’s compositions, including solo, chamber, orchestral, and wind ensemble works, have been performed across the United States and on five continents by such ensembles as the American Composers Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, and such musicians as Cho-Liang Lin and Alexander Fiterstein. An award winning composer, Zare has received honors from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, and Broadcast Music, Inc., among others. A recent collaboration brought Zare to Switzerland, where he partnered with CERN to present his saxophone quartet, LHC, at the 2014 Montreux Jazz Festival in a program featuring the collision of music and physics. Zare holds degrees in music composition from the University of Michigan, the Peabody Conservatory, and the University of Southern California, and currently resides in Evanston. To find out more about Roger's work, visit www.rogerzare.com
Mary Wu studies biomechanics of human movement, practices many forms of dance, and has training as an engineer. She is interested in how research is conducted in science and the arts, and is happy to be collaborating on this project to combine her interests in both areas.
Steve Tarzia is a software engineer and journalist based in Evanston where he is a Professional Fellow at the Knight Lab at Northwestern University. He publishes GunMemorial.org , a daily photographic report of gun violence victims in America. Previously, he was an engineering manager at two software startups in Chicago. His PhD thesis developed new acoustic sensing techniques for smartphones.
Nick is awesome and mysterious!
Clarinetist Andy Hudson has recently performed at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest, the Biennial World Congress of the International Alliance for Women in Music, the College Music Society Great Lakes Region Conference, and the Art Institute of Chicago. He has been a winner of the MTNA National Senior Woodwind Competition, the Sewanee Summer Music Festival Concerto Competition, the MTNA Southern Chamber Music Competition, and both the Columbus State University and Northwestern University Concerto Competitions. Several of Andy's performances have been broadcast on WFMT Chicago, and he is a frequent concerto soloist. Andy is currently a Teaching Associate at Lake Forest College and a DMA Candidate at Northwestern University.
Brandon Waybright is a designer, artist, educator, and the founder of CAPE design, a cross-disciplinary design studio with offices in both Los Angeles and Chicago. He is a member of the Society of Typographic Arts and AIGA Chicago. He is also the creator of Los Angeles Mythology, a collection of visual and written poetry that was released in 2013 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, California. His current work explores community intervention and multi-sensory applications of design. Brandon teaches design as part of the communications department at Trinity International University. At present, he divides his time between teaching, exhibiting work, offering presentations, curating exhibitions, crafting community interventions, writing, pursuing research interests, and serving clients through his design studio. Find out more at www.brandonwaybright.com!
Chrissy Martin is a Chicago native from Rogers Park. She loves to spend her days biking around the city, helping out at her local community garden, teaching children and adults about their bodies, and singing wherever and whenever she can. She is currently interested in taking a more somatic approach to dance; focusing on the inner workings of her anatomical structure and letting that inspire creativity in movement.
Gretchen Soechting, a native of Chattanooga, TN, holds a BFA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. In her 5th season with Synapse Arts Collective, she most recently appeared in Rachel Damon’s You’re So Stubborn at the Storefront Theatre under the 2015 DCASE season. Gretchen has performed throughout the Chicagoland area in such venues as the Chicago Home Theater Festival, Thaw, Produce, Dance for 9.99, Harvest Contemporary Dance Festival, and in Philip Elson’s 2014 Terms and Conditions at Links Hall. She is the joint recipient of a Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Individual Artist Program Grant in her work with the Dancers Cooperative, a new collaboration that seeks to challenge the current and ongoing struggle for sustainability in dance and the performing arts.
Sara Nelson received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Florida in 2014, along with a certification in Dance in Healthcare. Her background in theater and passion for dance, creativity, and community outreach lead her to the city of Chicago where she is very active in the arts scene. Sara is currently dancing with Khecari, Core Project Chicago, and The Coincidentals. Additionally, she is an instructor with the Chicago Dance Institute, bringing dance to underprivileged populations in the Chicago Public School system. Sara is both extremely grateful and thrilled to be a part of this project.
Monica Carrow earned her BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago in 2014. Originally from Edwardsville, IL, she grew up dancing competitively and has received extensive training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern and tap. Monica has performed with various Chicago dance artists including The Dance COLEctive, Jonathan Meyer, and J. Lindsay Brown Dance. Monica is currently performing as a Principal Dancer for Jay-Son Tisa Dance Company. She continues dance and teach throughout Chicago. She is so excited to be working with Megan, Elizabeth and the other artists involved in Equilibrium!
megan amal is a dance artist and community educator. She uses dance as a means for personal, social, and political transformation. She teaches and dances with the goal of challenging oppressive structures and building/supporting community. She is a Floridian new to Chicago and is blown away by seasons.
Eve Chalom is a two time world competitor in ice dancing, and fell in love with modern dance after she retired from competition. She has bachelor degrees in English and Philosophy and a master's degree in Dance Movement Therapy. She currently teaches skating and occasionally choreographs and performs with the Ice Semble Chicago. She is very happy to be participating in this project and indulging her interests in dance and science.
Jessica Morales began her dance training at Joel Hall Dance and Center. Currently she is a workstudy at Visceral Dance Center. She had the opportunity to dance as a company member for Chicago Verge Dance Theater, and worked with choreographer Cheryl Mann in Within performance. She will Graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago next spring with a bachelors in Kinesiology Movement science. She is excited to work with Elizabeth and Megan.
Stephanie is originally from Niskayuna, NY and holds a BA in Dance from SUNY Buffalo. She has training in tap, jazz, ballet, African, and modern dance and is proud to be a certified STOTT PILATES® instructor. Stephanie has been performing in Chicago as a freelance artist since 2010, and she is very excited to be a part of Far From Equilibrium!
Clarinetist Andy Hudson has recently performed at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest, the Biennial World Congress of the International Alliance for Women in Music, the College Music Society Great Lakes Region Conference, and the Art Institute of Chicago. He has been a winner of the MTNA National Senior Woodwind Competition, the Sewanee Summer Music Festival Concerto Competition, the MTNA Southern Chamber Music Competition, and both the Columbus State University and Northwestern University Concerto Competitions. Several of Andy's performances have been broadcast on WFMT Chicago, and he is a frequent concerto soloist. Andy is currently a Teaching Associate at Lake Forest College and a DMA Candidate at Northwestern University.
Brady Richards has performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Composers Orchestra, the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra, and has taught clarinet students around the Chicago area. He is a founding member of the 10th and Broadway Clarinet Quartet, hailing from Columbus State University, where he studied with Lisa Oberlander and received his Bachelor of Music in Performance. He also holds a Master of Music from the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music.
Manuel Ramos, clarinet, is an active freelancer in the Chicago area. He is currently an acting member of the Chicago Symphonic Winds and Northshore Concert Band where he additionally plays E-flat clarinet. As a soloist, Manuel has performed with the Columbus State University Philharmonic Orchestra, LaGrange Symphony Orchestra, and in May of 2016 the South Loop Symphony. Manuel earned his Masters of Music degree from Northwestern University and Bachelors of Music Performance from Columbus State University. His teachers have included Steve Cohen, J. Lawrie Bloom, Leslie Grimm, and Lisa Oberlander.
Conner Ray, originally from Atlanta, will receive his Master's degree in clarinet performance from Northwestern University in June 2016. He received his Bachelors degree from Columbus State University in 2014. Conner is actively involved in competitive chamber music environments and has participated in clarinet quartet performance for more than ten years. Providing high quality coffee drinks to Evanston, IL, Conner enjoys being a barista at Coffee Lab.
Jacob Snodgrass has been designing lights and working within the performing arts community since 2000. His works have been seen with Giordano Dance Chicago, Aerial Dance Chicago, BONEdanse, The Dance COLEctive, Khecari Dance Theater, Breakbone Dance Company, Peter Carpenter Performance Project, Same Planet Different World, instruments of movement, Chamber Opera Chicago, Cuba’s Escuela Nacional de Ballet, REIDance, Havana Cuba’s DanzAbierta, Soham Dance, Concert Dance Inc. with whom he traveled to China in 2009, Joel Hall Dancers, Hedwig Dances, the Other Dance Festival, the Ruth Page Foundation, the Space Movement Project, Canada’s lbs/sq”, and NEIU Repertory Dance, Thodos Dance Chicago’s New Dances. He has been technical director at the Ruth Page Theater, Links Hall and Hamlin Park Dance Theater. He has also worked within the Chicago’s off-loop theater scene: memorable productions include Shaw Chicago’s Ghosts in Konya, Turkey, WNEP’s Let There be Light, wise blood and Statuette: A Hollywood Musical, The Neofuturist’s Haymaker, City Lit’s Gidgetand their Sherlock Holmes series.
Mary Wu practices many forms of dance, including release-based Modern, ballet, Afro-Haitian, and hip hop, and organizes a monthly gathering for practicing dance/movement improvisation scores. She has performed works by Ginger Krebs, Michelle Burger, Megan Rhyme, and Clare Tallon Ruen, and has collaborated with the Solo Movement Collective and Chicago Contact Improv Jam. She has shown her choreography at Research Project and Delve in Chicago.
Sarah Gottlieb, CLMA, is an independent dance artist whose work layers contemporary movement with improvisation, installation, activism, and somatic practice. Driven by an insatiable curiosity about the human body, Sarah examines the interplay of biological systems and consciousness.
A lifelong dancer, Kathryn graduated with her BA in Dance from Western Michigan University, where she had the privilege of working with established choreographers from across the U.S. Since joining the Chicago dance community, she has worked with many choreographers and dance companies, including Craig Miller, Ashley Deran, and Brenna Pierson-Tucker and Christopher Tucker of Esoteric Dance Project. Kathryn can currently been seen moving and collaborating with Salty Lark Dance and Project Bound: A Limiting Value. She is very excited to be joining Megan and Elizabeth on this journey of scientific and artistic exploration.
I am a recent graduate of Point Park University. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance. Born in Chicago, Illinois, I have been dancing since I was 12 years old. I began dancing at a Steps Dance Center and then moved on to study with Nick Pupillo's Visceral Studio Company. I received additional training through intensives such as River North Dance Chicago, Thodos Dance Chicago, Keigwin + Company, Visceral Dance Chicago, and Joffrey Ballet. I was a member of the Waubonsie Valley Orchesis my four years of high school, and was Vice President my senior year. I was blessed with the opportunity to work with choreographers like Melissa Thodos and Jeff Hancock while on the Orchesis team. I attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for two years as a BFA Contemporary Dance Major. I then decided to move to Pittsburgh to finish my studies at Point Park University. I plan to graduate from Point Park University with a BFA in Dance, in May 2015.
Throughout my dance career I have studied many different dance styles such as Limon, Cunningham, Gaga, Graham, Horton, Dunham, Ballet, pointe, partnering, hip-hop, jazz, and tap. I have also had the opportunity to work with many different dancers and choreographers such as Ruben Graciani, Garfield Lemonious, Matt Pardo, Lizzie MacKenzie, Laura Wade, Christian Denice, Juel Lane, Susan Jaffe, Bobbi Smith, Nick Pupillo, Susan Stowe, Sidra Bell, and Brenda Daniels.
Megan's Email:
m e g a n @ r h y m e d a n c e . c o m
Elizabeth's Email:
e l i z a b e t h @ e p s i l o n d e l t a l a b s. o r g