Using video-mapping, 200 screendances, the superposition and juxtaposition of images, and the deconstruction and reconstruction of a modular set, 100x1x2 is a solo dance performance by Jalianne Li (Danse surFace Dance) that transports the audience in time and place. At once rooted in reality and living in an absurd, surreal universe, the piece marvels at humanity’s uncanny ability to adapt.

The project revolves around two series of 100 one-minute site-specific improvised dance videos (100 videos x 1 minute x 2 series = 100x1x2). Dancer Jalianne Li filmed and posted them on social media as she traveled around Canada and the United States in 2018 and while she was confined to her house and her yard during lockdown in 2020.

Faced with new difficulties and limitations such as the restriction of space, social unrest and isolation during the pandemic, 100x1x2 asks the question: how can we overcome what life throws at us?

The show offers a response, through Li’s point of view. Her life and experience are at the center of the work. She finds resilience in the creation of art and draws from its well of inspiration. The daily screendances become her voice, her way of communicating with the outside world, her way of making sense of the world, and a means of survival.

Designed to be performed in non-traditional venues, 100x1x2 combines live dance, live streaming, the 200 videos, a musical score by Xavier Richard, and the experimental video and video-mapping expertise of Collectif HAT. Living in both physical and digital spaces, the project embraces technology to facilitate new ways of connecting, expressing, and creating artistic experiences online and in person.