A developed flow of raw yet relatable conversation evolved from sincere stumbling sentences providing a humorous homage to raising young children, online discussion panel Mothxrhood explored the honest journey of parenthood and womanhood within the creative industry.
Seamlessly navigated by host Shelley Maxwell, guests Kamee Abrahamian and Helen Benigson authentically delved into topics from the politics of care, to the performative birth space, to a sense of ownership challenged by the weight of patriarchal expectations. What was clear throughout, was the overwhelming sense of individualism in each journey with lots of intertwining contrasting and complimentary elements but ultimately all leading to the notion of having to find your own way.
Later in the discussion, the word ‘Mothering’ itself was challenged, raising new ideas about mothering each other and even oneself as opposed to children, moving away from the denotation of particular feminine ideals and questioning with more acceptance, how this would shape our society.
Finally, audience questions added spice to the dialogue, raising ideas of imagination vs. reality, links to the climate crisis and even how the social media aesthetic of glorifying the difficult moments in life can affect us. The audience were a credit to the work, adding hard-hitting questions to keep the panellists on their toes whilst stimulating interesting thoughts and ideas that will keep you thinking all day.
With two new guests, Grace Okereke and Thea Gajicon Thursday, the discussion will undoubtedly take new twists and turns as we continue to unite to share our experiences in a time where connection is paramount, you don’t want to miss it!
Mothxrhood,is a part of the MESA festival, created, curated, and produced by The Fi.ELD, a unique and innovative Programme from East London Dance, find out more about the festival here: https://www.eastlondondance.org/events/mesa-festival/
I have been downright desperate to watch Lin Manuel-Miranda’s Broadway smash-hit Hamilton since it arrived in the West End in 2017. Many failed attempts at buying tickets and a pandemic later, DisneyPlus’s film adaptation streaming this weekend was an opportunity I could not pass up, and I was not disappointed.
From beginning to end, Hamilton provided a crucial history lesson in a sensational, fascinating, utterly unique and genuinely cool way. Teaching us about the extraordinary life of Founding Father of the United States, Alexander Hamilton, every word has meaning, every number has heart and every performer reminds me why I love (and miss) theatre so deeply.
Ingenious rap battles combined with heart- exploding numbers, complimentary choreography and passion-fuelled acting tell the powerful tale of love, forgiveness and legacy in a stellar performance. The soundtrack will become your new favourite thing and the story will stay with you forever.
A revolutionary piece of theatre that is more prevalent now than ever. Whilst it cannot fill the devastating void left behind by live theatre, it is a great reminder of the importance of our industry and gives me hope for the day when I can see it live.
When I read the description ‘macabre comedy’, I knew that Hofesh Shechter’s Clowns would be plentiful in witty oxymoronic qualities, and it certainly did not disappoint.
Stillness interspersed with haste. Calmness married to chaos. Floppy but still so strong. Each movement feels rigorously placed but completely free at the same time. Shechter’s nuanced choreography, complete with twisted grooves and playful jigs embraces the individuality of each performer, despite them moving as a collective. The talented ensemble of 10 never miss a beat of the percussive sound score, challenging the question: ‘how far will we go in the name of entertainment?’.
The immersive filming and unconventional lighting choices add to the performance. Blurred focus, gnarly close-ups, choppy angle changes and unnerving darkness build the intensity, drawing the audience into the piece and challenging any preconceptions they may have about contemporary dance.
Glorious, grisly and groovy. This is 30 minutes of mastery that you don’t want to miss.
The full performance is available to watch as part of the BBC’s ‘Culture in Quarantine: Great Performances’ collection, available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0890nqm
In the midst of a pandemic and the boredom that comes with necessary isolation, you cannot beat a bit of escapism and entertainment, and Jasmin Vardimon’s online screening of 2018 hit Medusa provided a concrete eighty minutes of it.
Medusa is an exemplary piece of dance-theatre with story-telling at its core,unpicking classic Greek mythology with a modern twist. Oceanic symbolism combined with harrowing explorations of gender, power and objectification are raised in relation to environmental pressures we face today, adding a unique social prominence to the magical tale. But do not let the fantasy fool you, this is no fairy-tale…
Opening the performance, a stage flooded with a sea of acquiescent plastic, brought to life by the hidden performers lurking beneath it. Reality is distorted as a female performer seemingly levitates before our eyes, her jellyfish skirt dancing with her, adding to her unearthly presence. The encompassing waves of the plastic ocean are replicated in her body through captivating undulations and glossy ripples. This relentless fluidity is never lost, even when the plastic is replaced by the stellar cast of all eight performers, criss-crossing their way past each other to resume the ebb and flow.
Soon water turns to stone as the smooth fluidity is replaced with staccato robotic movement. Four female performers stand frozen, plastic covering them like dolls in their packaging, emphasized by the male performers as they come and take their pick, sweeping away the leftovers with a broom. The doll-like character is later seen sporting a range of accessories, from a selection of hats to rival Barbie to some stereotypical oven gloves and an apron.
Opposing ideas of masculinity and femininity continue to be challenged throughout. A male performer with a female shadow use mirroring and spoken word to battle for the light. A cartoonish female performer dressed as a male embarks on a skittish solo, complete with falls into the splits and gestural goofiness, until she is caught with a rope which is eventually wrapped around her head, resonant of a real-life voodoo doll. Her catcher, a powerful female performer in a slinky bronze dress does not stop there. Twisting her hands into intricate shapes she manipulates a duet between a male and female performer from opposite ends of the stage, drawing them together and tearing them apart in an intimate yet violent exchange. Soon she has the full cast of performers running circles around her, literally. Like a scene from Total Wipeout, the performers take turns ducking and jumping over her swinging hoop of green light, a show-stopping moment filled with virtuosic athleticism.
Impressive interactions with clever props add strength to the piece throughout. Two men in domineering antlers have a stand-off as matching pairs of legs and floppy hats sunbathe in the background. A female performer runs around the stage blindfolded, antagonised by the others banging wooden sticks which she soon incredibly climbs despite her lack of sight. A male performer enters with a bin replacing his head, its lid doubling as a mouth that proceeds to spew rubbish all over the stage. He is followed by two other male performers, this time with slinky springs as heads that weigh them down. In contrast, the five female performers whip their long hair and swish their pretty skirts in a weightless, carefree section, but it is not long before a man comes to ruin their fun (again), leaving a female performer with her feet bound to the stage, until she is ripped from her place, exposed roots hanging from her feet and reverberations twitching around her body. Her empty space is mourned with a flower where she stood and a weighted phrase performed in unison by the six performers on stage, throwing their limbs in abandonment and collapsing to the floor, not without Vardimon’s striking trademark high kicks.
The ending sees a new power woman in the lead, this time with her long hair pulled into segmented strands to recreate the unmistakable Medusa imagery in a simple but charming manner. A cinematic battle makes up the final moments concluding in an epic defeat complete with black dust that glitters in the air. A spectacularly fitting end to a surreal piece of magic from Vardimon.
A sparse rounded spotlight dominates centre stage as choreographer and performer Satoko Fukuda rocks back and forth into the darkness, floating in an effervescent limbo to capture the sense of being In the Middle of Nowhere. Gestural articulation of the hands flourishes into off-balance full-bodied falls and turns. Spherical movement, pathways and spotlights reflect the ambiguous feeling of going around in circles, encapsulating the sticky space between yes and no. A hypnotising performance that flowed with clarity and control, despite the reoccurring theme of uncertainty.
This sensation of being stuck intensified as the night unfolded, entrapping us in JgXgh’sMarble Incarceration. The space was dictated by a seemingly inconspicuous mound of clothes which burst to life as a hidden performer emerged from under its bulk. A feeling of despair developed as the dancers violently flung their bodies around the space, hands frenziedly clutching heads. A relentless lethargy built, as like a magnet, the materialistic heap incessantly dragged the performers back, like helpless puppets on strings, representing the dangers of consumption.
We ended the night with a fitting contrast between constraint and freedom, highlighted by opposing flashes of rapid and sustained movement quality, clever lighting choices and complimentary music. Influences of Hip Hop and Tap joined forces to create an intriguing fusion in BDblaq Dance’s BlaQish. Trademark razor-sharp isolations united with witty shuffles created a charming partnership, enhanced by the tight-knit bond of the trio and the sincere theme of brotherhood. Personality driven solos from each of the performers created moments of individuality within the togetherness. Intimate spoken word and quirky movement phrases broke down the conventional performer- audience barrier whilst playing with notions of identity and acceptance. The invisible border was further blurred when the performers departed from the main theatre exit, skilfully making us feel like a unified front, and an integral part of the performance.
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’sThe 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.
Tonight’s Resolutions pushed the boundaries of what dance can be. Whilst so different in content, all three pieces had theatricality at their heart, championing the interdisciplinary approach to dance to take us on a spectacular ride.
Opening the show was Frankie Thompson and Luke Howarth’sSPACE, transporting us on an endearing expedition through space using projection to play with perspective and scale. Match-box sized scenes and characters came to life before our eyes, all created from human rubbish which added to their rustic charm. An intricate house with a sweet girl inside, toy-like men twirling in space and miniscule animals grooving to the music were just some of the delights on offer, all cleverly performed on stage by the instantly likeable Frankie Thompson. A few wobbly transitions and a bit of a slow-starter but a novel idea that was a cheeky reminder of childhood without taking itself too seriously.
The second, and perhaps most anticipated piece of the night was Miguel Altunaga’s (Re)Home, engulfing us into a dystopia of great intensity, portraying the lack of intimacy and connectedness instigated by the dangers of social media, a topical and inexplicably relatable concept. The captivating performers moved with ease, creating curious and seemingly impossible shapes with their bodies with a gooey, unearthly quality, as though they lacked any bones. Commanding and at times comedic spoken word was used to add force to the movement, interacting well with the entranced audience. A powerful, well-developed piece that struck a great balance of both ambiguity and clarity.
Finally, we hit the party with Trah & Chips Ensemble’s masterfully named A Rabbit Climbed a Ladder To The Moon And Danced With A God, And A Lie Is A Real Thing, a hard-hitting story of sex and drug addiction in the gay community told through witty, hilarious dialogue intertwined with outbursts of gyrating hips, feisty pulses and sassy head bops. The fully formed piece combined with the commitment of the undoubtedly talented performers had the audience intoxicated, making us laugh, cry, shout out responses and everything in-between. A clever mix of danger and excitement culminating with a harrowing cry for help that was deeply moving and bold. I can’t wait to see what they do next.
You would be lucky to have paid witness to a bittersweet programme of Richard Alston Dance Company repertoire and new works on their final tour. A joyous celebration of the iconic company’s twenty-five years in the business following their departure from touring next March.
Male soloist Jason Tucker bounded onto the stage, energetically opening the evening with the reconstruction of Red Run (1998), an unmistakeable display of Cunningham technique at its finest. The strong company of dancers continued the infectious energy with a series of effortless solos, duets and trios, filling the stage with effervescent ease. Seamless shifting of physicalized dynamics created an embodiment of Goebbels’ multifaceted music. A gratifying bringing the past to the present.
Following this excellent display of performed archive of shape and form was the new work Voices and Light Footsteps, to the music of Monteverdi. A dazzling collection of frothy duets imbued with elastic extensions, heartening fluidity and great feats of strength including gravity-defying off-balance contact work added a new edge to Alston’s renowned repertoire. It is heart-rending to think that this ingenious piece of work will be the last we see from Alston who is at the top of his game.
A more recent past was again brought to the present with the popular closing of Brahms Hungarian (2018), set to the music of Brahms performed by live pianist Jason Ridgway.Moments of serene slowness combined with manic speed maintained perfect precision, drawing from the pure joy of movement to create an awe-inspiring spectacle that kept on giving to the devoted audience.
Is this loss of Alston’s virtuosity from the touring dance scene just one of many in dance’s ever-continuing struggle to stay live and present? Or is it the gateway needed for a fresh talent to make their debut?
Megan Hamer
Welcome to Digesting Dance!
Hello everyone! I’m Megan, a BA dance graduate and lover of all things the arts. I decided to create Digesting Dance to review works that I am lucky enough to experience, whether that is live or online. In an ever-changing world, the arts are more accessible to us all than ever before so I do hope that I can inspire you to welcome more creativity and inspiration into your life, even if it is something out of your comfort zone. With that said, thank you for visiting my blog and I hope that you enjoy reading my thoughts on this platform!
DIGESTING DANCE 