IN PURSUIT OF RESONANCE

A Live Fashion-Dance Showcase

The Link Auditorium Main Theater, St. Louis, 2024

In Pursuit of Resonance is a large-scale, immersive performance that explores resonance as both emotional vibration: the way that bodies respond to one another through subtle shifts in energy. Set across five evolving sections of wearables, the piece unfolds like a living organism. It evolves from intimate gestures onstage, and weaving through the audience and moments of mutual awareness into a powerful finale where 32 dancers emerge sporadically, filling the stage and weaving through the aisles. Each performance is unique, shaped by the improvisational responses of dancers with varying levels of experience, from trained performers to participants simply emitting their presence. Loose movement motifs and setting their paths allow performers the freedom to create a rippling dialogue of motion and feeling. As dancers travel through, beside, and in front of the audience, resonance becomes tangible. It is felt not just through choreography, but through the shared atmosphere of vulnerability, attentiveness, and emotional response. Each section is set to an original soundscape, one without traditional measures or beats, designed to guide the performers in their “pursuit of resonance.” This live performance is part of a larger exhibition in the gallery of Link Auditorium, including photoshoots, film, paintings, and large scale collages of Qi’s work from the 5 series of wearables featured in the performance.

Performed by Alexandra Acevedo, Anaïs Beauvais, Alex Herzig, Allison O’ Bara, Bei Qi, Chris Salango, Emma Katz, Emily Lu, Ella Urton, Harriett Krajcovic, Jackie Wang, Joshua Ma, Juliana Morera, Jordan Spector, Keren Guo, Kavya Patel, Liza Birov, Lalo De Armas, M.J Brown, Maddy Crawford, Michael Gao, Natalie Green, Nian Li, Rustin Javadimotlagh, Ruby Short, Saidie Dolman, Selah Pabon, Sabrina Urban, Townsend Baird, Tahia Farhin Haque, Teagan Takahashi, and Victoria Li

Photos taken by Omeed Moshifar, edited by Bei Qi.