Performed at Dublin Dance House on the 28th May 2011.
The Dublin Dance Festival organizers have envisaged Re-presenting Ireland as an annual cultural venture with a very concrete purpose. Featuring as a solid festival component, Re-presenting Ireland presents rising choreographers with the opportunity of presenting their completed and unfinished works to Irish audiences. The project celebrates the diversity of the Irish modern dance scene. And indeed, all the works presented in Re-presenting Ireland 2011, highlight the versatility of modern dance in contemporary Ireland.
Mixed Bill I was presented as part of this year’s Re-presenting Ireland endeavor and consisted of three works by Irish and non-native choreographers. An extract of the award- winning (1020, ABSOLUT Fringe) Listowel Syndrome by Emma Martin was followed by Gad gad vazo gadati choreographed and presented by Steve Batts and Maria Nilsson Waller’s Walker.
Listowel Syndrome (2010)
Extract from Emma Martin’s Listowl Syndrome
This choreographic extract of Emma Martin’s award-winning Listowel Syndrome (2010) was inspired by real life events. It tells us of small town solidarity turning on its own when members fail to conform with the requirements of tightly-knit rural communities, a topic very relevant to Irish rural life. Four dancers relate the story of how a girl is ostracized by her own village. Danced to live percussion, the extract also uses humming to accentuate the unsettling nature of the story and to depict the isolation felt by the main character. Initiated by the solo of a female dancer (the protagonist), a few more duets and solo parts are followed by a group routine. The group number largely builds on an unsettling dynamic of impulses passed from one dancer to the other. The movements become ever more hectic and rash and result in anxiety in me (and I am certain, the general audience). The female protagonist then falls back and forth as the other dancers hold her up and prevent her from hitting the ground. Suddenly, heavy drumming sets in, when all four dancers execute a synchronized routine – playing with fall and suspense.
Finally, the three dancers (friends) leave the stage as one unit while the female protagonist breaks off on her own to the other side of the stage. Watching this excerpt was thoroughly rewarding and the feelings of isolation, anxiety and exclusion are accurately depicted through a combination of live drumming, singing and movement. Needless to say, this work does the Irish modern dance community proud.
Gad gad vazo gadati
By Steve Batts from the Derry based Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company.
The piece was slightly more difficult to access without any prior knowledge of Batt’s intentions. Indeed, it could easily be misunderstood at any point as “random wiggling to weird sounds” (Steve Batts). Frankly, as an avid learner of languages, I spent a substantial amount of time sulking whilst the piece was unfolding, simply because I could not gauge the language (or interposed extracts of language) of the chanting that accompanied Batt’s movement. Only gradually did I figure out that it was hopeless and the chanting merely gibberish .
Later I discovered that it essentially was a “duet of voice/sound poetry” which two French men created in response to Ferdinand de Saussure’s body of work on linguistic theory. In Dance House, Batt danced an excerpt of what is ultimately meant to be a thirty minute solo when it is finished. The piece is a bit weird frankly, but entertaining and Batt presented it with good humor. His belly rolls and convulsions which were minutely attuned to the strange voice/sound orchestra were really impressive, even to a modern belly dancer.
As the speed of the voices and sounds picked up, so did the movement of the dancer . The piece was therefore also an exploration of the interconnection between musical impulses and adequate physical responses. Covering the whole floor space in circles and then rolling onto centre stage with a remarkable array of floor technique, he then frequently points the index finger. I am not sure what the significance of this gesture really was precisely. But on watching, the thought of “sign language” immediately came to mind. As the voices of the sound duet became faster paced and more hectic, the dancer started jogging on the spot, ending in crazy stationary convulsions.
Batt’s intention in this work is to explore the relationship between the nuances of movement in the torso and the roots of language. At the core of his research is poetic movement. Therefore, the choreographic excerpt presented in Dublin Dance House essentially explored voice/ sound poetry and poetic movement. Briefly, the work alludes to the complexity of Batt’s research. If you happen to be interested in this particular field, it may serve as a great incentive to conduct further research. However, for me as a moderately informed (on this particular subject matter) onlooker , the piece was mainly entertaining and funny. And judging from the reactions of the rest of the audience this was the general first impression.
For more information on the company click this text
Walker
By Maria Nilsson Waller
The final piece for Mixed Bill I Re-presenting Ireland was danced by Sweden born Maria Nilsson Waller who received her formal ballet and modern dance education at the Royal Swedish Ballet School and the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance. After moving to Ireland in 2009, she has been involved with Irish choreographers Liv O’Donoghue, Fiona Quilligan and Aoife McAtamney amongst others.
Re-presenting Ireland afforded her the opportunity to present her short solo Walker which is reputed to be a continuation of her duet cocktailcockroach. Starting out, she crouches on the floor with her back to the audience. Her entire face is covered by her hair, head buried between the legs. The introduction harbors feelings of anonymity, as Maria engages in a prolonged floor sequence consisting of twisting and contorting her upper body. However, it also portrays a silent and strong presence. Slowly, in a controlled manner, summoning inner forces, she drags herself across the ground and after an extended floor sequence, she finally emerges. Now standing, her face and body fully exposed, she exhales with sound when the music, Steve Reich’s familiar discordant electronic sounds so cherished in the contemporary modern dance circles, kicks in.
After walking on the spot with various different arm positioning, creating a dreamy sensation of infinity, Maria embarks on exploring the space with confident movement. She jumps and travels in circles, perpetually maintaining her longing facial expression. Maria’s movement quality is supreme and it is an utmost pleasure to watch her. Both her dance expression and technique are so refined it is hard to resist the charm of her solo. Her solo was pure and entirely mesmerizing and I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing more of her work in the years to come.
For an excerpt of Walker online please click this text.
In conclusion, Mixed Bill I was an entirely enjoyable experience and it was an honor to be exposed to so much dance talent in Ireland. Re-presenting Ireland shows are generally co-hosted by Dance Ireland, Culture Ireland and Dublin Dance Festival aim to promote the diversity of contemporary dance in Ireland. Once again, the Re-presenting Ireland contributions of Mixed Bill I of DDF 2011, demonstrated exactly that and did the aims of the project proud.
Read Jasbelly’s introductory window onto the Dublin Dance Festival
Messages From The Big Rock Candy Mountain would like to thank the 2011 Dublin Dance Festival and Stephanie of Kate Bowe PR for everything
Leave a Reply