The Swirl

The Swirl is a surrealist duet that explores the slipperiness of individuation created and danced by Emily Jones and Hannah Krafcik.

In many ways The Swirl is a reaction to the superimposed binaries and/or categories that hem us in. Binary options for political alignment—with one ideology and against another—preclude individual capacity to take in the complexity and nuance that might blur personal conviction. Through The Swirl, we are working with the notion of two bodies as a "set" (distinct entities with similarities and differences) rather than a binary or categorizable pair. In a set, qualities can converge and diverge, and differences can be present without existing in direct contrast. We think the paradigm of swirling sets that converge and diverge is a useful framing that can help disrupt the social violence that often accompanies imposed binaries and categories.

More Ideas and themes: sensory / crafty cognitive dissonance / connective tissue / timing / intuitive / how do we ever really know if we are talking about the same thing? / syncopation / care / coercion / analytical / waves / nervous system / connected / zoom in / undulations / momentum / zoom out / stimming / energy shift / language approximations / individual / impossibilities / imperfect unison / delusions / power dynamics / failures / ground / questioning meaning and form / touch / multiple truths / sensitive / strange / spiraling / history / “two” is not a binary / lineage / how did we arrive here? / characters / daredevil cartwheel / set games / optical illusions

The Swirl presented by Velocity Dance Center as part of Next Fest NW: Total Chaos; images by Jim Coleman

The Swirl will become part of an evening-length performance called Perigee, currently in development, that will culminate circa 2026/27. We are currently seeking sites for in-progress, research-oriented iterations of the project to support the development of our concept, choreography, animated projections, and sound. 

PROCESS NEEDS (2025):

• good faith support: grants, cash donations, in-kind resources, mentorship and connections to funders

• residency time in Portland, OR and resources to support creation and integration of choreography, animated video projections, and sound

• opportunities to present excerpts as works in-progress

• opportunities to present a large-scale evening-length production circa 2026/2027

DONATION INFORMATION:

• Venmo: @hannah-krafcik

• Paypal: Krafchex@gmail.com

Evening-Length Production NEEDS (2026/27):

• performance area with safe floors to dance on—The work can be modified to different floorspace sizes. It’s possible for us to perform barefoot or in tennis shoes depending on the type of floor.

• projector + projection screen or surface for projection backing a stage

• audience seating that faces performance area in a proscenium fashion

• technical direction and support: lighting, sound, video

• one night of ASL per run

collaborators

• Ralph Pugay—portraits of Emily and Hannah to be integrated into a section of projections during the dance and other media

• Juniana Lanning — sound design

• Athena Kokornonis — costume elements

• Future collaborators TBD

The Swirl has been supported in different ways by Chocolate Factory Theater, Lucy Cotter, Stelo Arts, Camp Colton, Berm, Velocity Dance Center, Subashini Ganesan and many generous individual donors and colleagues.