Jason and Friends

A marriage between art and science The Mountain is a dance rooted in Filipino folk dance and set to a score notated from volcanic activity. This production speaks to various socioeconomic issues including economic moderation and environmental preservation.

The Mountain is inspired by two different mountains in the Philippines: Mount Pinatubo which erupted in 1991 and a mountain dubbed "Smokey Mountain" which is really a landfill that served as Manila's waste disposal facility for decades.

This piece debuted as a work in-progress in CityDance Ensemble's Carbon program and will have its world premiere at the Millenium Stage as part of the Local Dance Commissioning Project of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Choreographed by Jason Garcia Ignacio, the dance was set to music created by seismic waves recorded from volcanoes from around the world including Italy's Mount Etna, Ecuador's Mount Tungurahua, and the Philippines' Mount Pinatubo and Mount Mayon. Seismic data from these mountains were translated into audible sound waves using a volcano sonification technique developed by DANTE engineer Domenico Vicinanza who composed the score for The Mountain.

The Mountain -- Trailer -- from CityDance Ensemble on Vimeo.

Co-presented with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.