(Image from the first of the three performances, showing the film, the speaker, the washers and the audience)
The piece Saltator Pede was influenced in a number of ways by a range of practitioners and concepts. The piece is classified as a digital performance but is composed of a range of different elements, including a 3D film, a short prose read live, and a choreographed foot washing sequence. Dixon (2007) states,
“We define the term ‘digital performance’ broadly to include all performance works where computer technologies play a key role rather than a subsidiary one in content, techniques, aesthetics or delivery forms. This includes live theatre, dance, and performance art that incorporates projections that have been digitally created or manipulated…”
This formed the starting point for Saltator Pede as the main element of the piece was the 3D film which was projected throughout the performance.
Adrian Howells could arguably be the practitioner which had the greatest influence on Saltator Pede with his piece Foot Washing for the Sole. Through the creation of another piece, Held, Howells decided that his next piece would aim to specifically explore whether his hands could be ‘in dialogue’ with another’s feet (Howells, 2012). Following this decision Howells attended a traditional Maundy Thursday foot-washing ceremony, but felt cheated as the priest only trickled a drop of water over the congregation’s feet. This leading him to seek more influence in the Bible where Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and encouraged them to do the same for others (Howells, 2012). Saltator Pede used this idea, but altered it to reflect a dancer’s foot. Instead of exploring dialogue through the feet Saltator Pede aimed to give participants an understanding of a dancer’s foot, and a realisation of how much the foot is depended upon through the process of foot washing and massaging. Howells work also influenced Saltator Pede through his desire to have an intimate caring experience with his participants. This was reflected in Saltator Pede through each performer having their own one to one performance with a selected audience member, with the aim of giving each audience member a personal experience and reflection process.
It could also be argued that performance artist Stelarc had an influence on the piece Saltator Pede. Stelarc’s work relates to Saltator Pede as he also has a unique focus on body parts and their functions. One work of his that had a particular influence on Saltator Pede was the Ping Body event during which his limbs (arm, leg) were controlled with electric stimulation by an internet audience (Filas, 2013). Although during Saltator Pede no body parts were controlled with electric stimulation, it may be argued that the feet of the participants were being manipulated by the performers.
Howells and Stelarc both contained another aspect that influenced Saltator Pede, the use of immersion. Immersive theatre is theatre where the audience are participants in some way. In Stelarc’s piece the audience are participants as they control Stelarc’s movement via the internet. Howells piece has a closer link to Saltator Pede as the audience don’t have to physically partake they are just engaged with by the performer. Saltator Pede is classes as an immersive piece as the audience are engaged with by the performers during the choreographed foot washing sequence. Each performer was allocated to an audience member and had the duration of the 3D film to complete a foot washing sequence. Like Howells piece this was a very intimate process and required full cooperation from audience members.
Lastly, it has been claimed that:
“…mixed-media performance is the assumption that live and filmed representations can be combined as complementary and equally compelling languages, the theatre and film can work together as equal partners in a mixed-media production that privileges neither the theatrical nor the filmic” (Auslander, 1999, 2).
This was a key aim in Saltator Pede as although it had been classified as a digital performance the ‘theatre’ (foot washing) that took place alongside the piece also played a key role. It was essential to find this balance within the piece so the audience members not only thought about the dancers feet they were watching, but also about their own feet and how they use them.