Snapshots & Souvenirs
an evening song/dance cycle
Concept & Direction | Music & Words | Choreography | Set Design | Performance
Elijah Hancock & Melissa Younker
Costume Design: Melissa Younker
Instrumentation: Elijah Hancock
Videography & Editing: Florian Alberge & Melissa Younker
Sound Engineer: Sharp Audio
Photographer: Florian Alberge
Special Thanks: SLC Arts Council, Babin Family, Kaitlyn Mooney, Guilherme Ramos
A selection for Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Flash Project Program.
Premiered September 30 & October 1, 2022
PROGRAM-
A stop-motion film with puppetry.
Videography: Florian Alberge
Editing: Florian Alberge & Melissa Younker
Puppeteers: Guilherme Ramos & Melissa Younkers here
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A music video/short dance film.
Songwriter: Elijah Hancock
Videography: Florian Alberge
Editing: Melissa Younker
Sound Engineer: Sharp Audio
Special Thanks: Kaitlyn Mooney
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A choreographed dance duet with a record player accompaniment.
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An original song performed live.
Songwriters: Elijah Hancock & Melissa Younker
Keyboard: Elijah Hancock
Vocals: Elijah Hancock & Melissa Younker
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An original song & mini dance performed live.
Songwriters: Elijah Hancock & Melissa Younker
Mandolin: Elijah Hancock
Vocals: Melissa Younker
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A short karaoke film with original song, live performance & audience participation.
Songwriter: Elijah Hancock
Film Editing: Melissa Younker
Footage: Babin Family Home Videos
Vocals: Elijah Hancock & Melissa Younker
Sound Engineer: Sharp Audio
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An original song performed live with sound generating installation/choreography.
Songwriter: Elijah Hancock
Vocals: Elijah Hancock
Movement: Melissa Younker
Sound Engineer: Sharp Audio
Set Design: Elijah Hancock & Melissa Younker
Elijah Hancock and Melissa Younker combine their artistic curiosities to collaborate in a musically driven performance art work. A vocal artist and multi-instrumentalist, Elijah Hancock has specialties in songwriting, opera and choir. Melissa Younker is a multi-disciplinary movement artist with experience in dance performance, choreography and film making. Both artists aspire to cross genres and step into the vulnerability of sharing their desires in live performance. Together they have created a new work that embraces each other’s diverse skill sets, crossing boundaries and sharing in all sides of the creation, direction, and performance.
“Snapshots & Souvenirs” is a reflection of memory. Each song/dance is a snapshot of moments in their ancestors’ histories and personal pasts. To quote the first song they wrote together titled Bag of Dirt, “an embellished memory, a varnished catastrophe; both distorted, both true.” Elijah and Melissa find comfort and comedy in their shared understanding about the souvenirs we carry.
Video trailer from project proposal sent to SLC Arts Council November 2021.
Performances
Premiere, September 2022
Evening Length Performance
Flash Project
@ Finch Lane Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah
February 2023
Short Performance
12 Minutes Max
@ Main Library Auditorium, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA