Mesmerizing, is the best way to describe Paris 1994/Gallery, the latest dance show featured in the Harbourfront Centre's World Stage season. From the moment the dancers, Danielle Baskerville and Tyler Gledhill, sat on stage, to the moment they left, a weighty intensity griped the audience at the Enwave Theatre during opening night, lat night.
At times the show is overwhelming and uncomfortable but also compelling, preventing you from turning away. Perhaps it should not be a surprise. Paris 1994/Gallery is about death, and the beauty that lives beyond death. Ms. Baskerville, an alumni of the Toronto Dance Theatre School is breathtaking in her movements. But she does not overshadow her partner, Tyler Gledhill, who is both masculine and graceful. Fluid and strong yet delicate, the pair's chemistry captivates and carries the piece. For just over an hour the two literally wrestle with themes of love and loss, memory, and how we perceive those memories. It is a sight to behold and I for one found myself having to catch my breath as the lights came up in the house.
The bare set, by Jordan Worth, and inventive staging complimented TDT School alum and Director/Choreographer D.A. Hoskins' vision. And while her intentions were not always clear, as when a sand bag hanging from a hook obstructed the view of a video installation behind it, the sensations and emotions behind the movements were. At times the choreography highlighted the pedestrian, or everyday movements, but quickly gave way to some of the most inventive and intricate pas de deux work we've seen, as if to say, we are all, in our most primal, always choreographing and creating a dance out of life.
The show was accompanied by original sound/music by Robert Kingsbury. A score almost transcendental in quality. At times you'd forget that anything was playing at all, only to be jarred back to the moment seconds later, as the dancers shouted at one another or a eery creaking suddenly interrupted the melody. In many respects the score perfectly symbolized the very shocking nature of life and death, at times so beautiful and serene and at others so horrifying as to not be believed.
This is not a piece for the dance skeptic. If dance doesn't move you, don't bother. Instead this piece speaks to those who can relate to the powerful way dance can convey what words and music alone cannot. The way grief manifests itself in the body, and the way joyous and exuberant movement can combat the weight of loss. Powerful feelings are at play in Paris 1994/Gallery. Even if you are unsure, trust me, seeing these two performers is worth the price of admission.
Paris 1994/Gallery plays at the Enwave Theatre until Saturday. Click here for tickets.
No comments:
Post a Comment