'Life on Mars' was the second of Chantry Dance's films to pay tribute to the genius of David Bowie.
This intensely personal piece sees the dancer struggle to reconcile with the world, and the conflicting pull of the realities she lives in. References and symbols relating to personal life events abound in this piece, and it is a rare chance to see a portrait of the dancer's life in which she performs as herself rather than being concealed by a theatrical character. The dancer ironically appears utterly uncomfortable in her home environment. Dance is the medium through which she is able to process life, and the dance studio becomes her reality, her 'planet', that is a metaphor for the life on Mars she seeks.
Although the piece is highly personal to the dancer, undoubtedly some of the themes it explores and questions it asks may resonate with many of us. For example, the dancer wonders where she fits, if she truly belongs on this world, why the world is so senseless and cruel, and ultimately she asks whether there is something more to life than the reality we know?
CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Choreography and performance - Rae Piper
Filming - Rodrigo A. Carter
Editing - Rae Piper
Creative Consultant - Gail Gordon
Dance Consultant - Elizabeth Haslam
...and introducing Blue, the German Shorthaired Pointer