Moshtaghi & Porfyris // Songs of Chaos

In Brecht’s play The Caucasian Chalk Circle, a conflict arises over who should have ownership of a valley in Georgia — and later, of a child: the biological mother who had to abandon it, or the adoptive mother who raised it. In Songs of Chaos, the play becomes a point of departure for exploring humanity’s relationship with the world around us and our attempts to own and organize it.

Three dancers and a group of local performers begin the performance outside the venue before moving into the theatre space. Through humor, drama, and physical finesse, they bring Brecht’s epic theatre into the present day — a space where old stories are shattered and new ones emerge. The dance is expansive and mesmerizing, while also intricate and richly detailed.

Songs of Chaos is both curious and strange. The performance is a collaboration between choreographer Roza Moshtaghi and visual and sound artist Lykourgos Porfyris. Moshtaghi is a rising choreographer who has created dance performances for companies such as the Danish Dance Theatre, Carte Blanche — Norway’s National Company for Contemporary Dance — and exhibition concepts for the Munch Museum in Oslo.

Porfyris has composed five original songs for the performance and also appears through the sound system as the narrator’s voice. He was born with 10% vision, and the performance has been shaped around his perspective. As a result, Songs of Chaos has been specially designed to be accessible for audience members with visual impairments.