Inspired by the Japanese art of paper folding, Origami is a breath-taking 40 minute performance where geometric sections of a shipping container unfold creating different shapes and set the layout for Satchie’s bold acrobatics.
Suspended in the air, hanging upside down on the open top, a fragile figure is opposed to the monumentality of a bright red container. The overall picture is sensational, intensified by the suggestive and even more monumental presence of the Battersea Power Station at the back.
A complicate gear gently unfurls container’s segments creating a shifting architecture for the dancer to move in and around – a rather unconventional and innovative space for a choreography.
The performance flows slowly with Satchie sliding from side to side on a thin rope trough the moving space. Another section sees the dancer disappearing behind a triangle and then climbing over the side with incredible physical prowess. Through slow-moving sequences she defies gravity, shuffling on the edges and sometimes only holding on a bar or tiny handles.
The audience is held in awe by this stunning image that conveys a deep sense of anxiety when Satchie swings an axe standing on top of the container.
The concept of juxtaposing grand architecture with the fragility of human body is visually captivating. Origami is an experimental piece that walks on the fine line between contemporary dance and performance art.
Created by Paris-based Satchie Noro and Silvain Ohl and with music by Fred Costa, Origami opened London’s Dance Umbrella Festival 2017 at Circus West Village at Battersea Power Station.
Dance Umbrella runs from 11-28 October, read more about Origami here.
Photos by Johnny Stephens of Origami at the opening of London’s Dance Umbrella Festival 2017 at Circus West Village, Battersea Power Station on 11 October 2017.