The First Shape of Liberating
Maggie Zhu
Discover images from LIBERATING: She Dances (in Chains), capturing a visually striking solo performance shaped by movement, resistance, and the uncertain contours of freedom.
Stages in Motion | The Athleticism of Theatre
Editor: Maggie Zhu
She Dances (In Chains)
In 2025, the solo show LIBERATING was in its early stages of production, and it was still finding its shape. I entered the performance without a full explanation of its structure, and was quickly amazed by how the production’s striking visual identity from the get-go, with chains, masks, tension, and moments of stillness cutting through movement…
Freezing the Movement
Productions from the Scottish Opera
Between October 2025 and February 2026, I photographed dress rehearsals for Scottish Opera productions. The two productions that stayed with me most strongly were Puccini's La Bohème, directed and designed by Barbe & Doucet, and The Great Wave, a world-premiere opera by composer Dai Fujikura and librettist Harry Ross…