Moon Fever

382 kg of moon rocks was the scientific gain from the moon landing of 21 July 1969, but as a political project, the moon landing surpasses most.

In his speech to Congress in 1961, the recently inaugurated president John F. Kennedy announced that the USA would send a man to the moon and back by the end of the decade. Kennedy’s scientific adviser Jerome Weisner explained: ”Kennedy said to me: It is your fault. If you had brought me a spectacular scientific project that could be done here on earth, that would have been more useful – such as desalting sea water to make it drinkable – or something or other, that would be equally dramatic and convincing as space travel, we would do it.” Today, 40 years later, politicians still use the moon landing as a metaphor. Expectations are created, but are they met?

The moon affects life on earth, the relationship between high and low tides, creates tidal waves. Our relationship to the moon has been explored through myths and legends. So-called Shapeshifters that acquire their bestial powers from the full moon, go through a transformation also known as moon fever.

In the summer of 1969 an entire world had moon fever. In Moon Fever the relationship between movement and mass movement is explored. From one thought or idea a physical movement is initiated. From the astronaut’s movements in empty space to the movements of the masses in the enormous universe. The outward journey becomes a journey inward into a human being surmounting limits. ”One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

The moon landing contains a balance between dream and reality, which gives it value as a metaphor. The production «Moon Fever» juxtaposes myth and science in a magical-realistic genre to explore the metaphor.

Or to quote JFK: “We are not doing this because it is easy, we are doing this because it is hard.”

Nils Jakob Johannesen has previously performed at Black Box Teater with the piece MOST WANTED which was his first full-length choreography (2006). He has also performed in choreographer Øyvind Jørgensens performances including Peer Gynt nr. 371 (2004), Don Quijote (2005), Docudans (2007) and composer Cecilie Ores opera Dead Beat Escapement (2008).