THAR BE DRAGONS
Thar Be Dragons is a platform for theatrical dance research, education, and performance, created by Annamari Keskinen and Ryan Mason in 2018. The company functions as a platform for both choreographers to create and present their collaborative and personal works.
Our work has generally adhered to stage traditions, with content that places considerable emphasis on what is visually presented. It has frequently relied on symbolism and theatrical logic, dictated by the relationships between various images that emerge during a performance and the auditory landscapes that accompany them.
To some, our prior endeavors might be deemed nearly cinematic, often incorporating dramatic lighting, text elements, voice manipulations, and intricate soundscapes to add rich emotional layers. We have aimed to generate holistic environments where the poetics of dance and drama harmoniously interweave and amplify one another. Our aesthetic is heavily influenced by the uncanny, the mystical, science fiction, and absurdity. This inspiration manifests in our use of the dancer's body, veering from the traditional idealized choreography. Instead, we investigate the peculiar, the clumsy, the discordant, and shape them into their unique poetic potential.
Historically, we've been entrenched in a culture of performance that sees a research body culminate in a final product, one intended to best encapsulate the thematic content developed during the creation process. Yet, we've reached a crucial juncture in our artistic direction that calls for a deeper interrogation of our motives behind creating art. In place of our earlier focus on producing a polished product, we've now shifted our perspective to consider it as a process-centric practice—to appreciate its transitional state and the inherent worth of every phase. As our collaborative dynamics have evolved, we've ventured into personally untapped conceptual and logistical domains, while consistently upholding our technical prowess.
Our current work places premium on the value of process, the unfinished work, and seeks a platform where the essence driving the final product can be appreciated irrespective of its stage of completion.
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