Q+A: Swipe right to connect with Shay Kuebler and Radical Art System's Momentum of Isolation – Vancouver Sun

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Radical Art System: Moi — Momentum of Isolation

When: March 6-9

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Where: Firehall Arts Centre, 280 E. Cordova St., Vancouver

Tickets: From $30 at firehallartscentre.ca and 604-689-0926

Based on themes of loneliness and isolation, Moi — Momentum of Isolation is the sixth show from choreographer Shay Kuebler and Radical System Art. Since forming in 2014, the Vancouver-based company has represented Canada at the Incolballet Festival in Colombia and the Canadanse Festival in Israel, performed with the National Arts Centre of Canada three times and completed 12 provincial, national and international tours. We talked to the Edmonton-born Kuebler, formerly of Vancouver and now based in Courtenay, about Moi.

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Q: Can you talk a bit about the evolution of the show?

A: I started researching the topic of loneliness and isolation in 2018. The U.K. had created this government position called the Minister for Loneliness after a study that found cigarettes and alcohol were not the leading causes of illness, but isolation and loneliness were. We did our first group rehearsals in 2019 and 2020, and so a show about isolation and loneliness essentially went into an isolated form of creation through 2020 and 2021. Both times we presented it in 2020 and 2021 were in online film versions, and then we performed it live for the first time for a limited audience. This is an opportunity for a full live audience to see this show.

Q: How do you begin to translate concepts like loneliness into movement?

A: My son, who is only nine months old, already understands body language and reads people’s bodies and energy. That’s kind of the first language that we understand so I’m always looking at how we can take a topic and create a physical vocabulary out of it. One example in the show is how we talk about technology and the immediacy and disposability of connection. So in Moi we have this one section that’s essentially about dating apps. On Tinder, you swipe left or right and you get these really quick interactions with people. We choreographed a scene where there are all these dancers sitting on chairs, and there’s one dancer who’s kind of like the maestro, and she’s having these really quick interactions, like mini dance duets on chairs with these individuals, but then she quickly passes them by, and they all turn and then it changes into a new person. It’s a really simple translation, but something that’s really effective.

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Q: Are there different sections to the show or does everything flow together?

A: It’s definitely episodic. There are really small scenes. And I perform as a character that is like the through-line of the show. That was important because I wanted to make sure there was one character who was legitimately physically and socially isolated. He doesn’t interact with anything but inanimate objects. His appearance highlights and underscores what physical and social isolation can do to your mental and physical health. And then we have these episodes, which are performed by the ensemble and talk about technology, about relationships, about even the isolation that comes from being a celebrity.

Q: What do you want people to take away from Moi—The Momentum of Isolation?

A: One message is that we have the ability to dive into technology and social media for connection, but are we truly connecting? And there’s a broader message about how connection is essential to being human, and our ability to experience something as a group and to share experiences with each other is one of the most profound reasons that live performance and art are important.

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