I went into this experience knowing a little more of what to expect, or at least I thought I did…
I arrived at the venue with about fifteen minutes to spare, which left just enough time to get some cold water to enjoy the performance with. I entered the house and took my seat. I was on row A seat five. You would be forgiven for thinking this was the front row, but in front of row A there was another five rows labelled rows AA through EE, and the seat numbering started from five on each row. But the view from effectively the sixth row was frankly amazing. I had literally nobody directly in front of me to block the view, and with the stage at Sadlers Wells being raised a little, my eyeline was more or less at foot level. I missed nothing whatsoever, the view was superb. I wouldn’t be put off about selecting the front rows for any future performances. Photograph taken from before the start of the performance from my seat.
After previously seeing the Candoco Dance Company performing Set and Reset / Reset & Last Shelter at the Lowry and experiencing how much that performance stirred up feelings from deep within, I did a little research into “any attempt will end in crushed bodies and shattered bones” and the work of Jan Martens. I knew that it featured a cast of seventeen dancers with ages ranging from seventeen through to seventy. Compared to the performances that I have already seen this year, I was considering this performance to be more contemporary. – I was wrong in almost every sense of the word.
Jan Martens has created an unconventional experience, unique in nature set to an unusual yet somehow soothing repeated soundtrack that reminded me of some kind of cross between Philip Glass and Bill Wurtz. The repetitive nature of the soundtrack could well be considered annoying to some but there was beauty and comfort in the ever-evolving pattern and repetition. It was a running theme throughout the entire performance and there were parts were there was no soundtrack of music, but there was live spoken-word as well as playback and at one point just the rhythmic sound of the dancers feet as they walked across the stage in pack-like movements. You could tell from the audience that at times they felt these repeating loops went on for too long, but I didn’t consider myself to be among those people. I think I was open-minded enough to enjoy it for what it was.
The soundtrack is made up of pieces from Polish composer Henryk Gorecki, Jazz musicians Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln, and spoken word artist Kae Tempest. The music played throughout consists of unconventional protest songs from different ages.
The performance started with a singular dancer walking to the centre of the stage and awaiting the music to start. When it did he launched into a repeating routine of perfectly-synced movement showing style, talent and incredible core strength. As the music evolved, so too did his routine perfectly changing each time the soundtrack layered in more and more loops. At the end of his solo opener, two dancers came on to the stage and still in perfect sync with the soundtrack, performed their own unique choreography. One was extremely static moving mostly her arms in a sweeping and grand style while the other dancer moved around and used a lot more of the stage up, reacting and re-reacting with every beat of the soundtrack. Next a group of five dancers took to the stage and again performed their own unique choreography independent of one another, yet somehow still in perfect harmony with each other. Never once getting into each others space or interrupting each others flows. At the end of this section there was a pause for applause. Extremely well deserved.
Yet almost immediately we launched into another section with two dancers on the stage, then three, then seven. This process repeated until all seventeen dancers had been on the stage at some point either together or in smaller groups.
It was hard to know where to insert applause as there were some gaps and others which were not quite long enough. But I have a feeling this is all by design through Jan Martens stunningly well timed choreography. This is what I like about Dance.. It is down to you, the viewer to decide how to experience it, how to related it to life and how everything is interpreted. Very much like Set and Reset / Reset and Last Shelter, there is a portion of visual over-stimulation at times as at its fullest there are seventeen dancers performing their own routines on stage at the same time. Do you watch the stage and see all movement together yet individually, or do you focus your attention on a particular performer? That choice is very much yours alone to make. Either way there is no change of you missing anything good.
The second section started with a solo dancer walking in a large circle around the stage. There was no soundtrack of music or spoken word at this point. The only sound was the sound of his footsteps. Over time after several rotations alone, other dancers in groups of two or more joined the walking path timed to perfection showing momentum and a gradually evolving, increasing number of dancers. All seventeen were then rotating around the performance space in a pack. This continued on for some time until one of the dancers brought on a microphone stand and started to read out a spoken-word monologue. Still the only other sounds heard were from the feet of the dancers rotating around the stage. The spoken word monologue was evocative, and intentionally so, projecting the majority of the words on to the screen behind the performers. Following the monologue the rotating heard then gradually inserted some variations into their pathing with different groups splitting off and reforming again all in perfect sync, each performer had their own space never bumping into or impeding each other. At this point I can say that the movement wasn’t so much seen as the individual actions of each of the dancers but as the overall group movement across the stage. It was a mesmerising show of “corps de ballet”, much like the group performances from the video for the Chemical Brothers song ‘Go’ or the OKGO’s ‘I wont let you down’ which featured a massive group of performers with fantastic timing.
As I said previously, the audience will take from the performance whatever they wish to see. For example the piece described above started out with a singular performer walking around the start and at its very essence, that never changed throughout. The company as a whole was walking the entire length of the piece. But to some, this movement isn’t ‘just walking’, it’s more that that. It is a well defined form of motion which we perceive as ‘walking’. The duration of this section of the performance was long, which really drove home just how fit these performers are to keep in their rhythm and concentration throughout.
Another spoken-word monologue was played back towards the conclusion of this piece, and the dancers parted and spread across the stage in a subtle yet purposeful movement and stopped walking when they were all in a line with each other. Many applause were given, but they were not finished yet. More projection in the form of questions were asked and the company responded by either turning to face the audience or face away. Some laid down on the stage. Flat, face down, on their front on the stage, till at the end of the questions, all of the dancers were laid down in this way. The lighting changed to a very dark and intense red.
After some time there was movement again. A repositioning on stage, the only time during the entire performance where the company had any physical interaction and contact with each other. Some ended up laying on top of or leaning on others. A projection of what can only be described as vile insults and language was displayed behind the performers until eventually the stage went dark.
The final ‘act’ of the evening started with the lights coming back up, but back into the intense red light easing only slightly to see two of the dancers wheeling two clothing racks on to the stage. The company proceeded to get changed right there on the stage. Some were hidden behind the clothing racks for privacy while others literally let everything show while they changed into clothing which gave the perception of nakedness with red accenting. The clothing racks were wheeled off the stage and after a bead the red lights went out and was replaced with a cold white in an instant. This well and truly woke the audience up. The juxtaposition of seeing nothing but red light to seeing the company wearing what looked like nothing but red accents was jarring, but the perfect way to do it.
The company spread out on the stage and each started performing to the soundtrack their unique choreography, never touching, never getting in each others way or space, and never missing a single beat. This looped and looped and looped and what seemed like natural stopping points throughout were replaced by the revolving soundtrack. After some time you could start to hear some of the tension and relief from the company being shouted which seemed both a natural response to the duration of their performance and fitting for the massive release of energy which was being performed in front of me.
I once again was left speechless, but in a different way to Set and Reset / Reset & Last Shelter. This performance was more energetic which I didn’t think was possible after seeing the last dance performance I did. The fitness levels are outstanding and with enthusiasm the audience, me included rose from our seats when they had finished to give them several encores of applause.
I am sold on Jan Martens choreography now, so there’s another dance company to add to my list of favourites. Something entirely different (yet in many ways still movement related) is up next for me, before we return to see more modern dance at the Lowry in June.
[Note: A question I get asked a lot is why there are no photographs from during the performance. Basically I don’t take any. I want to enjoy the performance as a viewer with my eyes being the camera and my brain being the memory card. I don’t want to dilute that experience by getting out a camera or my phone and capturing a singular part of the motion of dance. I also think it is disrespectful to the performers. I know some people do take photographs from during the performances etc, but it’s just something I choose not to do.]
