An offering.
An opera in seven movements.
A call for justice.

Responding to the murder of Eric Garner, this meditative and immersive work is a creative act of resistance. Centering the voice and plea of an activist/daughter/soprano, the opera interweaves music, text, visuals and movement, gathering us together as co-conspirers—to breathe and keep breathing any way we can.

Artists

  • Jonathan Berger

    composer

  • Enrico Riley

    visual artist

  • Vievee Francis

    librettist

  • Niegel Smith

    director

  • Kamna Gupta

    conductor

Full Creative Team

In the News

“Seized the mind and heart with a keenly made and resonant fusion of music, text, movement, and design” —San Francisco Classical Voice

In the Classroom

Harvard Theater, Dance & Media course builds on ritual, meditation, reading and ‘radical dialogue.’

Rituals & Activations

Ritual of Breath is more than a performance—it is a work that invites each community to join in reflection, to move through the ideas and art forms of the opera, and to bring your own experiences to bear. So, we have created seven participatory rituals corresponding to the seven movements of the opera.

The Ritual of Breath project encompasses the notion of “art as a tool”, going beyond traditional performance/ presentation to create unity and a sense of healing—making, using and embodying art. The Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College continues to seek co-producers to come on board to help further the creation of Ritual of Breath.

Seeking Co-Presenters & Co-Conspirers

For more information, or to discuss partnership, please contact:
Kim Whitener, Hopkins Center Consulting Producer

Commissioned and produced by the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Co-commissioned by Stanford Live.