Abstract

SiO₂ is a contemporary dance work inspired by the elemental material of glass—its creation, transformation, fragility, and eventual deconstruction. Developed with internal funding and performed by graduates of the University of Sunderland’s Dance programme, the piece draws conceptual and aesthetic influence from the National Glass Centre, engaging directly with the processes and symbolism of glassmaking.

The choreography mirrors the physical journey of silica (SiO₂) as it is heated, shaped, cooled, and ultimately broken. Dancers embody the tension between control and unpredictability inherent in working with molten glass, exploring themes of precision, resistance, distortion, and fragility. Structured in phases, the piece shifts from fluid, heat-infused movement to sharp, fractured motifs, reflecting both the beauty and volatility of the material.

Through a fusion of contemporary dance and physical theatre, SiO₂ captures the poetic duality of glass—as both resilient and delicate, perfect and flawed. The work speaks to broader themes of transformation, impermanence, and the human impulse to shape and reshape the world around us. As a site-responsive work rooted in Sunderland’s industrial and creative heritage, SiO₂ also celebrates the intersection of craft, materiality, and embodied performance.