Christina Courtin

“Stroon”

When I was given the task to write “Stroon”, the reflection period was a heavy one. I was on a journey to find a path that would somehow lead me to another. Needless to say, I hit many dead ends. For me, the piece has landed in two worlds of mine, the lyrical and the searching. The singing aspect is throughout, but especially at the beginning and, of course, with the help of the dancers. The flowing sixteenth notes are just a vehicle for the endless searching and questioning of what anything/everything means, not unlike so many other pieces of music out there today.

The last year and a half have been absolutely devastating for so many reasons, and for me personally, it made me very quiet. I did not write, I did not sing, I just read the news with an anxious mind. I was so grateful for the opportunity from The Vail Dance Festival because it forced me to get into music again, to try and reconnect with myself, and to try and put music to the madness that is still our reality. —Christina Courtin

“Stroon” was generously commissioned by the 2021 Vail Dance Festival, Damian Woetzel -Artistic Director (Vail, CO)