Wednesday 12th February 2020, The Place, London
Farrell Cox AMBIVALENCE
Sababa Bar Company Aize Balagan
Luigi & Kashish Dance The Last Orchard
The root of tonight’s Resolution was eccentricity, taking us on a peculiar trip to the Circus with some fruity treats along the way…
A bath tub fills the centre of the space, the struggling shadow of a silhouette visible on the shower curtain until choreographer and performer Farrell Cox appears to trudge her way past invisible forces into sight. Ambivalence boldly explores themes of mental health, eating disorders and the ultimatum of suicide. Heightened facial expressions, risky feats of strength and dizzying aerial hoop work are undeniably captivating and spectacular to watch, but skittish flitting between sections meant that ideas became muddled and the clarity of the piece was sometimes compromised.
The circus experience continued into the second piece of the night, this time with a paradoxical clown-like influence. Hysteria to nonchalance. Manic laughter to inconsolable sobbing. Party hats to hammers. Sababa Bar Company’s Aize Balagan was an amusing oxymoron, exploring the emotions faced during the ending of a relationship. A vibratory bounce inhabited the boundless facility of each performer as effortless kicks and tilts were partnered with high-tension full body quivers. Intentionally awkward highlights included the spitting of slushy strawberries at the audience and whipping up a smoothie on stage.
From strawberries to apples, the nutritious evening concluded with Luigi & Kashish Dance’s The Last Orchard. Concealed apples amongst green and red balls flooded the stage as the two committed performers bounded their way through, referencing the tale of Adam and Eve and questioning “Why she and not he? Why red and not green? Why explain and not let it be?”. Movement dove from whip-lash inducing jerks of the body to silkier contact work, accompanied by live musician Arthur Rivas who was an asset to the piece. A light-hearted take on a serious theme with some room for further development.
Megan Hamer
Originally published as part of Resolution Review 2020 here: https://www.theplace.org.uk/blog/resolution-review-2020/wed-12-feb-farrell-cox-sababa-bar-company-luigi-kashish
DIGESTING DANCE 