Champaign, Illinois — Combining science, music and movement, this multidisciplinary performance explores humanity’s place in the universe, from the microscopic level to the vastness of space. The world premiere of The Joy of Regathering will take place on September 17th at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

A recurring theme in this piece is coming together after a long separation. This has been expressed in many ways, including people gathering after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.

The performance includes physics professor Sumisa Vishveswara, theater professor Latrell Bright, music professor Stephen Andrew Taylor, dance professor Rebecca Nettle Feore, chemistry professor and ex-Beckmann Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. Created by Director Jeffrey Moore. A variety of arts and science disciplines throughout campus.

Vishveswara and Bright present Quantum Voyages, a 2018 performance piece that explains the fundamental concepts of quantum physics, debuting at the 80th birthday celebration of physics professor and Nobel laureate Anthony Leggett. and created a more elaborate work, Quantum Rhapsodies, which was performed at the Beckmann Institute in 2019. It explored groundbreaking ideas in quantum physics and the role they play in technology, and included music performed by the Jupiter String Quartet.

“The Joy of Regathering” is a similar fusion of art and science, says Vishveshwara and Bright, an even more ambitious project. The production uses performing and visual arts to explore concepts in quantum physics, biochemistry, geology, and astronomy. The Krannert Center performance is the first of this new work.

“This is a journey through time, from microscopic to human to astronomical,” said Vishveshwara. “We are exploring regrouping across all these terrains: cells, communities, galaxies.”

The group held four workshops to develop the work, which included hearings from scientists across campus. Geology professor Bruce Faulk spoke about the creatures that live in the geothermal waters of Yellowstone National Park. Chemistry professor Martin Gruebele explained how sound can help us understand biomolecular processes. Biochemist Emad Tajkhorshid discussed cell membranes and coronaviruses. Biophysicist Melih Sener explained photosynthesis. Astrophysicists Jeffrey Filippini, Charles Gammy, Gilbert Holder, and Helvie Witek helped the group understand the formation of planetary systems, galaxies, and black holes.

Scientists were asked to talk not only about the basis of their research, but also how it relates to our humanity.

“Scientists are actually very poetic and very figurative,” says Nettl-Fiol.

One workshop was devoted to improvising a variety of instruments to create soundscapes for production, while a fourth, led by Bright, outlined how to present concepts in performance. .

In creating the movement on stage, Bright said, “I thought about the repetitive patterns of coming together and leaving and why.” Ensemble of 12 His cast includes faculty, students and local residents. They sometimes migrate in flocks, disperse and then come back together.

The performance consists of four movements, beginning with “We the Animals,” and looks at humanity through nature and machine collecting, praying, sharing, dancing, fighting and labor.

We then move back in time to ‘life fragments’ to explore early biological life, including cells, and how they are affected by the coronavirus. photosynthesis; carbon; sulfur bacteria that depend on each other to survive in extreme environments.

Terra Forms focuses on geological features such as rocks and minerals, hot springs and volcanoes. Journeying the Cosmos explores astronomical phenomena such as planet formation, stellar life, black holes, and galaxy formation.

The Jupiter String Quartet performs the music for the production, along with nine other musicians who improvise during the performance. The quartet will perform a composition by Taylor that includes a complex and exuberant passage based on the genetic sequence of the coronavirus protein. Taylor also uses sonifications from the LIGO gravitational wave project in a section on how black holes form and combine. Indian classical singer Shanitkumar Jain, based in Bangalore, India, will join the ensemble.

Nettl-Fiol created a 19-minute dance piece that dances to music written by Taylor that describes the coronavirus. The dancers also appear in the final movement, representing various celestial bodies, with the six dancers representing the formation of the planets orbiting the sun. The dancers explode into each other into stars, forming two constellations. Her two duets of dancers represent the death of a star before it swirls again and merges to form a black hole.

Recorded narration sets the stage for each move and explains scientific concepts.

During the pre-show event, guests will be able to share their thoughts on the theme of “reunion” and watch a documentary about the production process. Post-show events include dialogue and music.