Paradigm
In the darkness, we see a couple enter and set themselves up, limbs intertwined. As they fold and unfold from their hold on each other, a gentle sound begins to play: Lo-Fi music, an unexpected pairing for a contemporary duet. It fills the space with a lulling, repetitive beat that I soon recognise in the duo’s movement, I see them embody it. The short duet progresses at an engaging pace and the storytelling reveals itself through scribbles on the floor, twists and turns, many executed in perfect sync. Here, contemporary marries hip-hop in a refreshing new way. But, as time goes on, as the bodies speed up and reveal a woman in her struggle, that same lulling beat seems restrictive of the frustration on display. That said, with no doubt that they left it all on the floor, laboured breaths and all, this duo left the crowd wanting more and was met with joyous applause.
Once the clapping settled, we were escorted to a separate venue. This evening’s program, a one-night only appearance in the festival, featured two duets by independent performers. The interlude-walk provided a gentle respite in between, a moment to take things in before taking on more.
MEGASTRUCTURE
In a book-lined room that smells of old furniture, she walks in, staring us down with her hands on her hip. The tension in the room is palpable, the audience unaccustomed to being gawked at. He struts in. Curiously, the double-bill that has little else in common with itself featured an identical start for both of its counterparts: an embrace of limbs, a lift where bodies become one. The strong eye-contact never stops, the performers watching us almost in defiance, knowing we watch them too. The duet itself, a feat of contortions lined with sexual innuendos, can only be described as inventive, mutual puppeteering. The audience laughs, as most would when faced with two people mounting each other repeatedly. “What is necessary to create?”, the program stated. Well, exactly this: an entertaining spectacle, humour and prowess perfectly balanced. All in all, a rare gem that captures everything to look for in a contemporary work.
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