DSH Artist-in-Residence Tempest McLendon Presents dih-loo-zhuhn

DSH Artist-in-Residence, Tempest McLendon, presents dih-loo-zhuhn
June 8th and 10th during Barnstorm Dance Fest – Program C
Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston (MATCH)
Tickets and more information at dancesourcehouston.org.

“dih-loo-zhuhn” is an improvisational piece inspired by dreaming, sleep disorders (such as sleep walking, night terrors and narcolepsy), daydreams, stages 1 – 4 of the sleep cycle, conscious and subconscious thoughts, Polysomnography (sleep study), brain waves, and the 5 senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch). Drēms, or Dreams, are defined as “a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep”. Bonding by sharing dreams, discussing feelings, creating a space environment for vulnerability, and playfully interpreting key details of sleep events with a dream dictionary is a tradition amongst Tempest’s family, friends and herself. These moments of sharing are also opportunities to check-in on each other’s well-being and provide emotional support.  

Guided by McLendon’s movement development inquisition and her turbulent relationship with sleep, the main focus of this project is about the process of forming connections, movement exploration, collaboration, sharing of experiences and information exchange. “dih-loo-zhuhn” examines different perspectives of self, navigation of dreamscapes, sensory exploration/deprevation, disorientation, and confusion. This work heavily involves the experiences and voices of dancers Mariah Henry (she/her), Persi Mey (they/she/he), Michelle Reyes (she/her), and Johnnathan Rivas (he/him). 

“dih-loo-zhuhn” was selected to be part of Program C of Barnstorm Dance Fest. This performance will take place at Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston (MATCH) on June 8 and 10, 2023. You may purchase tickets at matchouston.org and stay up to date with DSH Artist-in-Residents at thedancedish.org or dancesourcehouston.org. Please connect with our community by sharing your dreams using the dāˌdrēm Word Cloud QR code or this link.