Once Upon Unsteady Grounds

Mara Vivas, a professional dancer, has fled Venezuela and left at the end of an international tour with the National Ballet of Caracas. Having left behind memories of childhood poverty and life-threatening experiences, she is now faced with the reality of a migrant seeking work, security and, quite simply, survival in Europe. On the morning of August 2, 2001, Mara arrives in London, but unfortunately she only makes it as far as passport control. There, almost simultaneously, a catastrophe and a miracle occur.
"Once Upon Unsteady Grounds" tells the story of these events, which still reverberate in Mara's life today. The participants in the online performance are invited into the virtual space of Mara Viva's head. As avatars, they wander around in it and become witnesses to her thoughts. With Mara, they experience her story, which takes them to places where people from different parts of the world, including Iran, Ukraine, Mexico, Thailand and the USA, perform live. They give the audience an insight into their experiences on the journey between the borders of states, societies and ideas. The virtual space thus becomes both an archive in which Mara's experiences are inscribed and a meeting space in which the audience and participants come together live.