Remember Me
Video Scenography for Dance Performance
Medium: Live art
Choreography: Kirill Burlov
Soundscape: J. C. Wright, Marc Waterman, Ali Byworth
Performers: City Academy
Performed at: Sadlers Wells, November 2024

“Remember me,” whispers the dust.
Peter Huchel
'Remember Me' originated from choreographer Kirill Burlov’s vision, which we developed together in close collaboration with sound artist and composer J. C. Wright. The piece was performed by City Academy students on the Sadler’s Wells stage as part of their 'Ascendance' show in November 2024.

Together, we explored the tension between the insignificance and grandeur of human existence, drawing inspiration from Joseph Brodsky’s poignant words (quoting a two-liner by Peter Hichel) in his essay "In Praise of Boredom”:

“And do you know what the dust says when it’s being wiped off the table?

“Remember me,” whispers the dust.”

From this starting point, we shaped a piece that invites reflection on memory, mortality, and the echoes we leave behind. I created an experimental video projection that became the performance’s visual core, a shifting and evocative backdrop that responded to the dancers’ movements. Meanwhile, Julian’s mesmerising soundscape enriched the narrative, weaving a sonic tapestry that guided the audience through the layers of the piece, adding an almost shamanic depth to its themes.
The students’ performance brought the concept to life, embodying the delicate interplay of presence and remembrance that Kirill and I envisioned. The work also drew on text that muses on the permanence of fleeting thoughts and the universal drive to seek meaning. Through this collaboration, we sought to create a deeply immersive, multidisciplinary experience—one that resonates with universal questions of existence, maybe disturbs a little, and makes a viewer reflect on their own role in the grand scheme of things.