Explore 'A Creature of the Garden and Cellar' Dance Performance

Choreography: Tammy Carrasco
Performed by Tamar Gutherz and Chloe Marie
With original sound composition: Devin Arne
Commissioned by Philadelphia Dance Works: 2026 Dance Up Close
Performed at Christ Church Neighborhood House, March 18th & 19th, 2026

“A creature of the garden and cellar is a danced duet, a fractured subject but one porous being, moves through the depths of interiority in ways that reside in and exceed the borders of the living room. Dancers engage vigorously with the varied terrain of the house, from descending into the darkness of the cellar, climbing into the dreams of the tower, and stepping out into the garden–surrounded by the ethereality of the creatures who reside there.” – Philadelphia Dance Projects (2026)

About the Score

The score for a creature of the garden and cellar explores interiority, using the sounds of a quiet day at home as a starting point and finding inside them textures, gestures, and evolution.

Sound sources are drawn from the droning of radiators and boilers in winter, the metallic ringing of pots and pans, and instruments associated with the house: acoustic guitar and upright piano.

The score builds on techniques developed in TERRA: Bodies and Territories, turning field recordings into playable instruments using iZotope RX, Ableton Live, Max for Live devices, and MPE controllers. Here, though, the focus is on the interior and the domestic, making the unexpected from what is at hand.

The Lyra-8 synthesizer by SOMA Laboratory was also central to the project, offering a way of generating synth textures outside the standard keyboard synth. The instrument is hand-tuned and played via eight touch-sensitive metal plates, allowing for ear-based rather than fixed tuning.

Notes evolve and bloom with slow attacks, and harmonies are enhanced or distorted by its built-in delay and saturation circuits.