TETRIS Mon Amour by Club Guy & Roni

 

Digital Dance

 

 

   TETRIS Mon Amour

Club Guy & Roni

Stadstheater Arnhem, 8 November 2017

 

“The paradox of freedom and limitation is that there is no freedom without rules.” This, according to dramaturg Robbert van Heuven, is what Club Guy & Roni seek to explore in their latest production, TETRIS Mon Amour. Inspired by artistic director and choreographer Roni Haver’s childhood addiction to the computer game Tetris, the company explore the physical boundaries of the choreography and of their own bodies in this dynamic and visually impressive piece.

 

From the outset, it is evident that every element of the work has been collaboratively created in order to create a kind of futuristic, virtual environment through which the performers move. A large, neon, cubic frame occupies most of the stage, sometimes framing the dancers, sometimes acting as a looming and ominous background set piece. The dancers themselves move in a rigid, android-like fashion which they impressively maintain throughout the piece, interacting with each other not in a conventional human manner, but as if they are avatars operating through an interface, confined by the rules of this “game”. The physicality of the dancers and their commitment to expressing these virtual characters was one of the highlights of the piece for me, as I was completely captivated by their ability to appear non-human through their facial expressions and movement quality.

 

 

A soundtrack of dark and jarring electronica was provided by Slagwerk den Haag, who accompanied the dancers on stage. The musicians emerged from behind their instruments on several occasions to join the dancers in movement phrases, which was an amusing and clever decision on the choreographer’s part. We see how the music is transformed through the bodies of the people who wrote and performed it (regardless of their lack of dance training!). It also gave the piece a sense of completeness- all of the performers interacted with each other and with their surroundings, making the stage akin to a game on a computer screen for the audience.

 

Although Haver was largely successful in creating this world, I felt that there was a lack of development throughout the piece. There was very little change of dynamic, in either movement or music, and I believe that there were missed opportunities for character development too- the piece stayed very much on one level for its duration. The most interesting moment for me was when two characters seemed to start to become romantically involved and almost kissed- however, this was at the very end of the piece, and it was over before we could see any further development. This kind of uncomfortable duality of human and avatar within the dancers was something which I found fascinating to observe, and would have loved to have seen more of.

 

However, I can’t deny that I was highly entertained nonetheless. TETRIS Mon Amour is an exciting and stimulating dance piece which pushes the audience to think about the freedom which we find within constriction. If there are no rules, no limitations, can we truly find creative freedom? To quote van Heuven once more, “It is about manipulating the system’s structure as skilfully as possible to be able to be absorbed in the system.”

 

Watch the official trailer here: https://youtu.be/PfkpiSIYsoU

 

By Rosie Stebbing

"Harmida", by Kale Dance Company

“Eight bodies on stage explore their physicality within the contemporary language of the choreographer. Starting from a narrative research on the present and the human scourge of the contemporary society, anchoring itself in small symbolic elements. Harmida developed in an abstraction creation about flight and arrival, and the hope of a new beginning.” (Harmida synopsis, 2017)

Inspired by the actual “refugee crisis” that has been attacking Europe countries for the last year, and by a mother who lost their children during the war and that helped the ones needing support in that moment of terror, KALE Dance Company presented, on the 12nd of January of 2017, “Harmida”, the contemporary dance piece directed by the dutch dancer and choreographer Elizabeth Lambeck.

Despite focusing on this current horrifying situation, this creation doesn´t emphasize what the refugees feel or go through (because that sensation of them is unknow to us). It does focus on those who are humble enough to help the ones that have been living such life struggles in the last years due to the wars.

The dancers move as they were facing a scenario of destruction and fear, their movement was characterized by falls and the sensation of disorientation in the body. However, they could also show in their bodies the idea of helping the other, by using lifts and dangerous approaches in movement between each other so to show to the audience the trust a courage between dancers that was happening on stage.

A complex light work wasn´t relevant for the piece, a simple focus was enough to show a theme that transmits such an insecure and exhausting scenario.

When it comes to the costumes, black or grey training pants and a beige t-shirt were worn by the interpreters, which gave them the look of exhaustion and suffering that they wanted to transmit. Besides, it gave the movement much more of a fluid and wide sensation.

The music was, for me, the weakest part of the piece since the transitions from one song to another were not that well worked. Every different song had a different choreographic phrase/moment related, which made the piece look rather predictable. However, they were well chosen because I consider that they relate to the theme presented on stage.

“Harmida” is a very stimulating piece which doesn´t let the audience take their eyes from the chaotic environment they are facing on stage. It´s an eye opening on how the human being can be so useful towards human being self-destruction. The dancers refer to a little girl who saved a sea star: “The star can be indifferent to the world but, to the star, the world means everything”. Cooperation between music, light, costumes, interpreters and movement present then a piece based on helping the ones who are I need of protection and looking at them has people who deserve the world.

Ana Meireles

DM1

CACTI by Alexander Edman - Filippo Buonamassa DM1

 CACTI   

BY ALEXANDER EKMAN

         

NDT 2 in SCHUBERT

Thursday, November 30th 2017

Stadstheater Arnhem

                   

When the humor becomes the expression of a deep provocation, there is no more need to find other elements to create a new piece on.

 That was the idea that, in 2010, Alexander Ekman, known for his witty humor and clever transitions, followed to create an ingenious and hilarious piece, which is able to discover and go through some critical aspects of the reality. 


In this work, the maker explores the uneasy relationship between the creator’s will, the performer’s execution and the spectator’s gaze. Everything revolves around three elements:

•  contemporary dance
•  contemporary dancers 
•  "contemporary” audience.

 The final result?

Cacti of different sizes all over the stage as a joyful parody of the art form’s excess.

 From the outside, the first image to admire was a fascinating picture with series of “ivory statues” shaped in artful poses draped on and around oversized blocks. 

You should wait few minutes to get where the most entertaining part of the performance starts when all the dancers turn into musical instruments of an orchestra directed by the three musicians on stage. 
Matter of seconds and the live music was crossed over with sounds of hands clapping, feet hitting the floor and voices screaming out loud. Such an impressive moment!



However, “Cacti” is a piece not only about the unity and energy of the group, but about the individual artist expressing Schubert’s score and emphasizing the creativity and fastness within the music. One of its strengths is the complete freedom which let the dancers use their inner madness in this work.

The best part of the performance was the central duet, hilarious and comic but deep and provocative at the same time. A high-pitched voice accompanied all the dancers in their performance, suggesting funny and comic meanings for every single movement they were practising on stage.

That is why everyone, both dancers and public, was continuously bombarded with images and emotion since that voice kept on asking rudely: “What do you see?”.


It is evident how actually,in “Cacti”, Alexander Ekman, running through these different sections, challenged the audience, getting them into a deep reflection about modern dance.
 


 Even though the performance is really full of hidden meanings and confusing images, what makes it clear and easy to see and understand is the scenography, including the use of the lights and costumes. As well as the movements, the lights also follow the same canon-structure, lighting up different parts of the stage (the use of the space really appreciable). 

Furthermore , the choice of wearing simple costumes without bright colors also gives a clear vision of what is happening on stage.In fact, minimalism about effects and decorations on stage seems to be a usual feature of Ekman’s works: in this regard, “Rondo” (2012) and “Left right left right” (2012), two of his amazing works, could be great examples.  

  

What is sure is that you will be completely captured by the excitement and the passion which perfectly mix with the dancer’s outstanding physicality. This combination of energy and unison leaves both the dancers and the viewers captivated. It is definitely worth seeing!

Take a look at the "Behind scene" below. I find it really useful to better understand the whole performance.

Choreography, Decoration and Costumes: Alexander Ekman
Lyrics:   Spencer Theberge 

World Premiere:   25 February, 2010 Lucent Danstheater The Hague 
Light : Tom Visser
Live performed by  Tinta Schmidt von Altenstadt (first violin), Arnieke Beilschmidt (second violin), Naomi Peters (alto violin), Artur Trajko (cello)

                          Filippo Buonamassa