Can you?

An exploration of quick improvisation

Music: Conqueror - AURORA

"Oomycete" explores the relationship between the Oak tree and the Phytophthora ramorum pathogen, a fungus-like organism (oomycete) causing disease, which leads to the death of Oak trees in California and Oregon. This is also known as Sudden Oak Death. The death of the trees comes from rapid cell death which is called the hypersensitive response in plants. A study observed the functions of the trees by looking at the photosynthetic capacity (how well the leaves can convert carbon into carbohydrates) and water transport capacity (how much water the plant can take up). They did this by using four species of Oak trees and introducing the pathogenic protein. They inserted the pathogen under the bark of the tree and then compared the effects to the control. By measuring the H+ uptake, the chlorophyll fluorescence, and the ethylene production, they found that these pathogens cause a significant decline in photosynthetic capacities. The physiological impacts occur in two stages, the first stage is independent of water stress and suggests that the effects arise due to the pathogen. This is the first report of this occurring independently of water stress. This means the plants develop photosynthetic declines before water stress. This helps to better understand the cause of this phenomenon. The dancer depicts both the pathogen and the Oak tree and how this disease affects the tree's functions and the stages of this experiment.

Music: Winter Bird - AURORA

"Succession" is inspired by the origins of the rocks at Great Stone Face and Indian Rock Park. The rocks are volcanic and with that comes ecological succession. When a volcano covers an entire area, the ecosystem must rebuild itself. This is a process that takes place over time.

Music: Fear - Sleeping At Last

Music: Right Where You Left Me - Taylor Swift

Time, reality, and what once was.

Screened at San Diego International Mobile Film Festival 2022.

A collaboration with Julie Crothers. 

Performance and choreography by Dora Drake and Julie Crothers

Video editing by Dora Drake

Music: Daughter - Sleeping At Last