8 Feet Dance

In an unspecified future, a self-sustaining community of octopus women have survived the extreme warming of the Earth. The performance portrays their daily life, punctuated by songs and rituals.

This experimental cyborg opera, explores the full vocal spectrum, both composed and improvised, ranging from human voices to sounds of the ocean world. Violaine Lochu and her team guide us with siren songs, visualising everything through the figure of the octopus.

The octopus has fascinated people for centuries, appearing in numerous legends and stories. In creation myths, it is said to be the sole survivor of a world that preceded our own. Philosophers like Donna Haraway and Vinciane Despret use the octopus as a metaphor in their thinking. Scientists are impressed by their intelligence, adaptability, mimicry, memory, and aesthetic sensitivity. Some researchers even suggest that octopuses are ideally suited to become the dominant species after humanity disappears due to climate disasters.

Violaine Lochu weaves together these various discourses — scientific, philosophical, artistic, and fictional — creating a polyphony performed by four artists.

8 Feet Dance is an eco-feminist fable, a "multi-limbed" performance that combines vocal polyphony, choreographic gestures, and visual art, addressing our world, the current crisis, and possible futures.