Outdoor performance on Salford Quays, 16.07.16 (presented by Quays Culture)
A couple of weekends ago I had the pleasure of reviewing a free dance event for Salford Online. I was planning to go anyway and review it as I'm a Motionhouse fan, so it was great to get the VIP treatment!
The scene was set outside Media City; the large stage was
waiting for the dancers to enter and a substantial crowd had gathered, eager to
see this free performance. People of all ages were stood waiting in
anticipation, (some had been clever enough to bring camping chairs) and for
once the weather was on Salford’s side. Thanks to Quays Culture, the crowd were
about to enjoy a thrilling multimedia ride into the shifting centre of the
earth.
For the next hour or so, the crowd developed and people
watched in awe as the epic scenes unfolded. Silence, which is unusual for large
crowds, filled the atmosphere as we stood transfixed at the spectacle.
Motionhouse specialises in large scale outdoor performances,
however Broken was devised as an
indoor dance piece. Artistic Director Kevin Finnan had to adapt it for the
outdoors, which included completely changing the first five minutes of the
piece the day before, due to lighting issues. The original opening scene needed
a complete blackout, which wasn’t possible at 9.30pm on Salford Quays. He also
told me afterwards that he felt placing the show outdoors changed the feel of
the performance altogether – the standing audience felt more connected to the
performers and the themes, and the show grew in intensity as the skies grew
darker.
The fluidity of movement and the exhilarating film backdrop
created a mesmerising performance from start to finish. Athletic and poetic,
the choreography was powerful and original, and enhanced by the creative scenes
projected onto the stage. The audience was amazed by dancers hanging from bars,
swinging around poles, dancing on stilts and falling from heights.
The performers took us on a journey which represents our
relationship to the earth, starting with the big bang which created our planet.
Other scenes took us deep underground,
into the treetops and finally into a crumbling urban metropolis. The amazing
ending scene was literally earth-shattering, as the dancers physically pushed
themselves to the limits to survive the digital earthquake.
Thanks to Salford
Online and Quays Culture I was lucky enough to speak to the Artistic Director
after the show and asked what had inspired him. It was easy to relate the
scenes to his various stimuli – fossils and life underground, the Chilean
miners’ accident and his travel experiences around the world.
I was amazed at the energy of the dancers, which truly
brought the story to life. The powerful choreography was beautifully exerted,
especially within the impressive duets throughout the piece. The piece is
strikingly original; there is no other dance theatre company successfully
integrating digital like Motionhouse. It was near perfect – the only
improvements I’d suggest would be to do with the digital elements, which at
times looked a bit unrealistic. The dancers can’t be faulted, but some of the
choreography was a little bit cheesy or ‘obvious’ to the trained eye. However,
this makes it more enjoyable and easier to follow for audience members new to
dance theatre. This is certainly a show which can appeal to people of all ages
and introduce new audience members to contemporary dance...and it was FREE!
