The final day of classes at the festival. A lot of exhausted teachers saying goodbye to their students and cramming their dirty washing into their suitcases.

Performances 08.07

Silesian Dance Theatre
"Center of gravity"

Renana Raz
"We have been called to go",
"Onion Tears"
(Israel)

Green Chair Dance Group
"Whims"
(USA)

Kokoro Dance
(Canada)

An invitation home.

Renana Raz (Israel), „Onion Tears”, „We have been called to go”

Author: Anna Koczorowska
Translation: Anna Koczorowska


This invitation started with the most universal of universal topics: the sad farewell at the end of love affair. The soloist used a very rare prop – a scent. The dancer sprayed deodorant in semi – darkness, creating a light mist in spiral shapes, like a ribbon spinning in the hands of an artful acrobat, created an extraordinary visual value. In addition, a spray, disappearing in a second in the air, built in my mind a connection with the changeability of feelings which are at the beginning so intense as a fresh scent and then gradually disappear and lose their strength.

Afterwards these artists of the Israeli theatre invited us home. They showed us their everyday reality and how they crunch peanuts. But at the same time they created the atmosphere of a holiday. Perhaps they introduced their viewers to one festive day celebrated by a typical family in their country. It was a day full of dances and songs, as the artists, with unpretentious frankness, revealed what kind of family it really is. According to Renana Raz, life is very faithful to tradition there. Each custom is impacted by the rituals, especially the religious ones and religion is still an unquestionable value. When a family sing together, they use the verses of the Bible. With this kind of family traditional forms, folk art has survived. When dances overwhelm us, this is most often in the form of a circle dance, the most primary form of folk dance, symbolising a united community. When technology enters such lives it’s surprising, that traditions are supported, rather than ruined. Can you imagine a more successful „marriage” between technology and tradition than a dancing lesson to instructions given on TV?

In an everyday life, that is a kingdom of tradition, politics becomes more important than anything else. The national symbols, such as the flag, are the organic parts of everyday life; their presence is unquestioned and meets respect. This respect expresses itself in the silence, which turns up as a reaction to the sound of hooters. But besides the seriousness of it all there is also a lot of dancing – a group expression of joy and ecstasy. Dance, enchanting with its briskness, spontaneity and natural movement is an occasion to experience very elemental emotions. In this idealistic and partly sentimental world is there a place for distance and a more critical attitude to reality? Maybe there is. I felt more affirmation and nostalgia, but maybe I let myself flow with the mood and I remained on the surface of the work. I admit I enjoyed staying there.

Author: Anna Koczorowska
Translation: Anna Koczorowska
Renana Raz (Israel), „Onion Tears”, „We have been called to go”

Pluses and minuses

„Centre of Gravity” by Sebastian Zajkowski and Leszek Stanek

++++++

+ the opening, announcing an interesting performance
+ the emotions and engagement of the dancers
+ interesting mix of theatrical and dance elements
+ well made collective dances
+ individually created characters

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- intelligent scenography, but not entirely used
- skin-deep relations between characters
- well-worn motive of a humiliated woman
- predictable development of the narrative line
- Sebastian Zajkowski is cast again in a brutal role – an unwitting emploi?
- too long moments of semi-darkness which seemed to be a mistake
- unnecessarily rich expression at moments when dramatic effect could have been achieved with minimal means