Thomas B. Fiocchi
Dance Works (view listing under Collaborations to the right):
Set and Prop Designer
Thom was a set and prop designer at the George Washington University, associated with Carl Gudenius, Professor. Thom created six 6′ high and 5′ wide sets covered with white canvas (fabric) designed with diagonal sides and also at the top as a slanted BUTTE (an isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top (similar to but narrower than a mesa). Together they created a wall with fractures. Each “butte” set was on wheels so each butte could be moved by a dancer or dancers “live” during the performance. Slides and videos of indigenous carvings and drawings and other images such as the sun, earth, sand, the moon, even dancers, were projected on the surfaces. Each butte was managed by a dancer and moved forward, backwards, etc live on stage. Dancers and ancient rock art images were projected on the screens. As the screens moved, images would come onto and drop off a screen. At one time, each butte served as a screen for one dancer behind the screen who was back lighted and became a living/moving pictograph/petroglyph during the performance. Also, a chain of dancers backlit moved across the stage behind the screens as a migration. This was an exceptionally brilliant idea and brought life to the ancient world that had existed in the Southwestern United States.
Maida Withers, dance solo
Dancers backlighted to create living pictographs/petroglyphs
Canvas buttes on wheels accept images from the front and from behind (backlight needed behind).