21 Feb
Svenja Bühl The way you feed me, the way you warm my skin; is just amazing. Even when I look at you it’s fun. Thanks.
Instigate Unknown BLACKBALL
Becky Namgauds Like Honey
Svenja Bühl‘s long titled piece is an impressive exploration of relationship and power performed by the talented Johanna Merceron and Natalie Sloth Richter. Bühl has an exceptionally creative mind that is clearly articulated through the movement, theme and staging of each scene. Black garbage bags filled with air lay on a bare stage, the two dancers shuffle, jerk, one seemingly happy the other in distress. They come together lying on the floor as they slide across the floor; which looks intimate until their faces reveal the uncomfortable nature of the moment as one strips the top off the other. The movements are subtle but there’s a tension between their experiences and emotions that it’s both humorous and arresting, while being slightly alarming against a light and airy sound track. There’s a particularly dramatic scene where the dancers sit on the floor and open their mouths to scream and the sound of a hairdryer blasts. So simple, so absurb, so illuminating.
Instigate Unknown presented six talented dancers dressed in black giving a hip hop vibe in BLACKBALL where balls are literally thrown, kicked and rolled around. The power of the dance company and the choreography shone in the ensembles with grounded modern and hip hop inspired movements, head bobbing, shoulders rolling and body dropping. Choreographer Cherilyn Albert (who also performed) created well coordinated sequences, duos and trios that gave each of the dancers their moment to shine in a piece where the balls and light are integral force. Dancers with torches created striking strobe effects, casting bright flashes and shadows in the darkness illuminating glimpses of bold dance scenes.
BLACKBALL. Photo by Karmen Kaarlõp
After two strong performances Becky Namgauds’ Like Honey reached a new level with a powerful, confronting and rageful piece of genius exploration being woman. Two exceptional women perform an incredible symbiosis of voice and movement. A woman sits on chair with a sound machine and microphone, next to the other who lies face down half dressed on a white square. Her voice starts to click, making the other’s hand move, the voice and sound change, her upper body moves, the sounds continues to instruct the movements of the other until she stands, mannequin like, robotic, her body mechanical, just a device that she can’t seem to control. She stops, dark red blood runs down her leg, with clenched fists she unleashes her inner strength in a dynamic emboldened finale to an intense vocal roar that brought the house down. Namgaud is a talent that needs to be seen and heard.