Inncercide is as much a trio as a duet if you include the musician who assumes a prominent position on stage, bringing the movement alive with an eclectic mix of electronic beats, a live sitar and even some Beyonce riffs. The effect is of three friends improvising in their lounge, reinforced by the sofa and novelty cushions on stage. They dance as the audience arrive creating a mood that is welcoming and experimental – with a genuine brotherly rapport, the three seemed in a state of euphoria. The attempt at speech added a comical touch but needed to be clearer. Structurally, the artists could have weaved the sections together more coherently.
Solos are infamously hard to choreograph and sometimes harder to watch – this piece was an exception. Shokunin had such dexterity as he effortlessly articulated every muscle, giving his movement a melting quality. Olafur’s soundtrack was the perfect accompaniment as Shokunin’sbody replicated every note of the piano and every breath of the music. The simply placed chair on stage was genius; as he sat in it, he became Olafur at his piano. The dancer traversed the journey of an artist – the anxiety, the highs and lows through his subtle body, weaving through the music so that it became visceral in its impact. I would have loved to see more.
Foskett’s quartet captivates the audience through the intense rapport between the dancers, the physically impressive unison sections and dramatic duets. There is a striking moment when the two female dancers rest their heads on each other’s shoulders, forming a kind of conjoined, headless monster. The dancers were both powerful and fluid but the movement was at times overwhelming – there was so much material that it was hard to differentiate between the sequences.
Reviewed on 12 January at The Place by Stella Rousham