Intro: Maggie Stack pieces together film clips from her exploration of lone movement against landscapes. Her investigation began as an escape from home and continues as a dance journal throughout newfound foreign "scapes".  Check out this stunning film and notes from the artist herself. 

"Scape" By MAggie Stack

"Scape" is a video I created during the month of May that delves into my recent three-month journey through six countries. As I traveled, I explored what I was seeing through movement, dancing my way through the "scapes" of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal and Vietnam.

Before the journey I told my husband (and amateur videographer) Perry that "all we have is this one body." We were separating from our daily grind and uprooting from home. We were just us. Two bodies moving through space. Open vessels ready to experience it all. As we traveled, it became apparent how much bigger the world is than each of us, and how—by escaping home—we could jump into an earthly feast for the senses, taking in landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, moonscapes and other endless portraits of this world.

Upon returning home, I sifted through hundreds of iPhone videos to compile a collection that felt worthy of the vastness I had witnessed. It's nearly impossible to capture the dizzying cities, the plethora of smells and overwhelming views. Yet by dancing in these spaces I was able to connect with a sense of place. The earth presented itself to me and I danced upon it alone, finding that home is always somewhere inside me.

This May I also received news that The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance (SFCD), my home for the past nine years, will be closing its doors this August. I am dedicating this work to my SFCD family for pushing me over the horizon. It's the people we choose to share our time with that bring joy to this life, and they will forever be my people.