SEPIA

SEPIA is inspired by Woman in the Dunes, a novel by Kōbō Abe. The piece alludes to the book’s narration as it attempts to convey the moments of a state of being. The sand in the piece becomes a symbol of time, the habitat of the characters, and is a symbolic element in the changing of consciousness.

The sand streams on the dancing men and women from suspended glass flasks. It covers the stage, turning it into a picturesque scene. It dictates the rhythm, atmosphere, choreography and images, and thus becomes the protagonist of the play, as well as the habitat of the characters.

The infinity of the sifting sand is emphasized by the long, haunting sounds of the symphony by Avet Terteryan.

Concept and choreography: Tatiana Baganova
Music: fragments of the Eighth Symphony by Avet Terteryan
Set and costume design: Anastasia Sokolova
Lighting design: Maxim Sergachev
Running time: 30 minutes
18+

Perhaps the very absence of form is the highest manifestation of strength. The basic idea of treating sand as a negation of stability is not so crazy; the movement is one eighth of a millimeter, especially in a world where existence is a chain of states of being.

Kobo Abe



New Tatiana Baganova's show "SEPIA" confirmed her status of the undisputed leader of Russian contemporary dance.
Choreographer builds the architecture of performance with unfeminine accuracy. To demonstrate interweaving of characters it is not necessary for her to twist the heroes with each other endlessly. Baganova doesn't interrupt their subconscious dialogue, but leaves the air for a virtuoso solo dance.

Vedomosty



"SEPIA" was created in the USA at the American Dance Festival,. By taking the sand as the working material (dry substance flows from the sand glasses suspended above the stage), the choreographer reminds us about her previous works, where her friends became water and snow. Something primal, very feminine and very truthful reflects in Baganova's "SEPIA".

Moscow news



Power of Tatiana Baganova as a choreographer is clear and no bustling in "SEPIA": creative freedom is constrained only by imaginative tasks. But self-restraint only hastens choreographer's fantasy.
Never before there was such an abundance of lifts in Baganova's performances, never before bodies of artists worked so variously and expressively. There was not such a tense confrontation in duets, their participants every now and then switching roles: master becomes a slave and vice versa. Erotic and psychological electrification of partner dance pumps suspense of the performance, making us expect the outcome with stringy delight — as the finale of a first-class detective.

Commersant