Salt Soaked

What do you pack when you leave your home knowing you’ll never return? 

I have asked this question many times. In this work for Vimoksha Dance Company, Cassie Wang, Claire Lane, Carmen Rizzo, and Elizabeth Epsen share their answers, which weave into the main narrative of the work—the story of the price you pay for immigrating and how you keep going despite the obstacles.

This video captures the work’s premiere on the Boston Wharf, a former point of entry for many immigrants, now— a busy commercial district facing away from the ocean.

Choreographer/director: Chavi Bansal

Composer: Inga Chinilina

Dancers: Cassie Wang, Claire Lane, Kristin Wagner, Aliza Franz, Hannah Franz, Carmen Rizzo, Elizabeth Epsen

Samples: Tatar Folk Song Tugan Tel (Mother Tongue), lyrics by Gabdulla Tukay performed by Adeliia Faizullina, stories narrated by Cassie Wang, Claire Lane, Carmen Rizzo, Elizabeth Epsen

Research Contributor: Liz Nelson Weaver

commissioned by Momentum Greenway Dance Program