R.d.f.t.c. is a project that developed from six songs which were initially written for two different performances: Mountains (2022) and The Frontier (2023).

The songs were inspired by conversations with untrained performers who participated in those pieces, responding to my existential questions about longing, motivation, and purpose in the post-internet, transapocalyptic grind. These conversations shared a sense that people missed interdependency, connection to the practical tasks of physical survival, and nature.

I developed a series of choreographic videos for the songs — some with and some without music, thinking about the aesthetics of adjusting (an act of searching for comfort), cult appeal, and nostalgia as a haze-machine (that remembering the past as better interferes with making the present good); as well as Oskar Schlemmer’s Triadic Ballet, and mundane aspects of the millennial experience— like dating apps.

When I developed the six original titles — Death-bo-beath; Unsatisfied; I Got My Cult; Neon Purple Glow; Everything has already happened; Sub Song — into videos, additional material emerged, resulting in the ten accompanying shorts: What’s special about you?; Beautiful New World; Species Family; No presh it’s chill, bummer my bad; The Last Mating Call; Slow Love; Seaweed Dance; It’s You I Like; Nolan & Zander.

I later translated the sixteen short videos into objects and paintings, thinking about tactile childhood memories of drawing with crayon on wooden furniture, and agreeing to believe in magical suggestions like Disney, Santa and safety. 

This material comprises the exhibition Relationships don’t finish, they change at the Handwerker Gallery at Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, January 24th - March 7th 2024.

The installation includes a 58:50 video comprising 16 shorts, looped on “The TV Cozy” ~ a 78” flatscreen with a stuffed rim made from fabric of the curtains it’s positioned in front of, and which are also the backdrop for the video.

On the opposite wall to the TV Cozy are a collection of paintings, made and titled after lines in the videos. On either adjacent wall installed are more curtains from the videos.

Written, directed, choreographed and produced by Kyla Kegler 

Cinematographer / Editor: Tristan Gellatly

Music producer / instrumental composition: Derick Evans

Production support: Carl Lee, Lauren Pullano, Lisa Brown Carosa, Christina Buscarino

Performers: Alex Kerr, Bello Bello, Casey Sampson, Charlie Finan, Danny Gray, Devin Finan, Eve Johnstone, Gabriella Victoria, Jarrett Szymanski, Kayleah Aldrich, Lauren Lerner, Lydia Kegler, Meghan Arnold, Nicolee Jimenez, Nolan Barry, Suzanna Vaupen, TD, Ülgen Kılıç, Zach Kushner, Zander Raymond

Song Book designed and printed by Robert Rusch