Houston Dance Company Tackles Pandemic’s Impact on Mental Health Through the Performance of Viola
Chris Powers
Viola is choreographed by Keerati Jinakunwiphat and was performed by the Houston Contemporary Dance Company at Healing Arts Houston in Fall 2022.
Photography by Lynn Lane.
Titled Viola, the performance examines the effects of the four seasons on mental health. It traces its origins back to a period that for many was rife with isolation and loneliness: the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Choreographed by Chicago-based Thai American artist Keerati Jinakunwiphat, Viola tackles the toll the pandemic took on mental health for a significant portion of the population. Its performance was a collaboration between the Houston Contemporary Dance Company and the Kinetic ensemble.
Houston Contemporary Dance Company Founder and Executive and Artistic Director Marlana Doyle said work on the piece began prior to the start of the pandemic, but it took on new focus after the impacts of COVID-19 were felt.
“With [Jinakunwiphat], the conversation started before the pandemic,” Doyle said. “And then when the pandemic happened, obviously mental health was at the forefront.”
Doyle said that both the company and Jinakunwiphat worked directly with clinical psychologist Dr. Rachel Winer when creating the piece. It was a close collaboration that resulted in a more nuanced approach to crafting the dance.
“[Winer] has a group she meets with on Sunday and they work together. They Zoomed into our rehearsal and Keerati Zoomed in from New York and we all got to talk about the work and the piece,” said Doyle. “The piece was inspired a little bit by them.”
Doyle said that Viola has particular relevance for the Houston Contemporary Dance Company. Formed in 2019, the company was just finding its footing when the pandemic shut down theaters and forced performing arts groups to grapple with a difficult new reality.
“Obviously the pandemic kind of shook everything up, but that was also when we were starting up. So for me, it’s just staying consistent, and trying to continue to fundraise and support the choreographers, the dancers, the art,” Doyle said. “Houston has so much to offer. Being in that spectrum is really important to me.”
Doyle said that leading a dance company is a challenging profession—one that requires wearing many different hats. She said prioritizing mental health is a crucial component of the job.
“Understanding that it’s a little bit of time management and understanding that the more organized you are, the healthier it is for you and for the dancers, the people working with you,” said Doyle.
Doyle said that the intersection of health—both mental and physical—and art can be found in dance.
“Dancers are healthy people, they use their bodies to perform. Taking care of themselves is really important. And physical and mental health combined make a good dancer,” Doyle said.
“They’re constantly using their minds and their bodies to create art, which I think is the coalescence of health and dance.”
