Human / nature: Interviews with Audrey Rachelle, Kelly Todd and Isabel Umali

Abstract

In this piece, I interview three dancers and choreographers – Audrey Rachelle, Kelly Todd and Isabel Umali – about their recent works on sustainability and climate change. All three dancers share a background in immersive theatre, having performed in Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More for many years. Their accounts illustrate a productive application of immersive theatre sensibilities and choreographic practices onto issues of sustainability and environmental justice. Rachelle, Todd and Umali’s pieces are borne out of a heedful relationship with their particular surroundings, as well as a thoughtful engagement with their audiences. This piece seeks to bring critical attention to new works while considering the productive intersection of immersive techniques and ecologically minded choreographic endeavours.