SHED | Four Vignette Dance Films (2015)

a ritual of shedding, death, and renewal


SHED | a ritual of shedding, death, and renewal

Werifesteria (old english)- To wander longingly through the forest, in search of mystery

Conceived and Directed by Maré Hieronimus
with ritual performers Laura Burns and Rebecca Lloyd-Jones
Camera Rebecca Lloyd-Jones and Maré Hieronimus
edit Maré Hieronimus
Soundscore and vocals Maré Hieronimus
Spoken word Laura Burns
Underscore Cory Neale

SHED | a ritual of shedding, death, and renewal, is part of an ongoing series of ritual performance explorations that soften the barrier between performer and observer, and invite the witness to move into the liminal space along side the doer, entering the unknown together.

SHED took the form of four short films which illuminate three women's journey into the woods. The first vignette is available to view on this site, but the other four remain private, and are available by special request only.

What is it to converge in a moment with others to set a shared and private intention in motion? What is it to experience the threshold of ones own resistance? What is it to surrender to the elements, and to feel intrinsically related to the earth? How is the experience of a woman, her lineage and ancestry, in the land and of the land, interwoven with time? 

Through the simple ritual act of walking the woods, we entered this liminal space.  Listening to the sounds of the land, we drew closer to the roots and songs of womanhood. Giving our bodies over to the coldness and the snow, we allowed ourselves to experience the tastes of resistance. Embracing the cycle of death and renewal, we explored the act of shedding as a physical and metaphoric reality. Moving away from the known and towards the unknown, we looked to cross through this liminal space into the other side.

SHED was developed while in residence at the E|MERGE Artist Residency
Earthdance, Plainfield MA
February 2015

photos by Maré Hieronimus