Dance On Ensemble’s London Story and never ending (Story) transcend the boundaries of conventional dance performance, inviting audiences to partake in a multidimensional exploration of movement, language, and emotion. It is a testament to the enduring legacy of Merce Cunningham and a celebration of the transformative power of artistic expression.
Little did I know, upon entering the intimate setting of the Lilian Baylis Studio for the Elixir Festival’s showcase of dance and age featuring Berlin’s Dance On Ensemble, the depth of the immersive artistic journey that awaited me. During two separate sets, Merce Cunningham’s iconic work Story would be recreated and responded to by a cast of amazing choreographers and dancers.
Merce once remarked about dance in an interview “We don’t interpret something, we present something… any kind of interpretation is left to anyone looking at it from the audience.” With these words echoing in my mind, both I and the audience found ourselves confronted with the exciting task of engaging with the performance on our own terms. This rare freedom of interpretation, so palpable in this show, distinguishes it from most other performances. Drawing inspiration from Cunningham’s innovative approach, where dancers were empowered to shape their movements and sets were uniquely constructed for each performance, Dance on Ensemble’s London Story under the direction of Daniel Squire skilfully utilized limited archival materials to breathe new life into this iconic piece for contemporary audiences. Despite the freedom of interpretation, the rigor of structure imposed by the electronic clock on stage and the meticulously curated blackboard, outlining the sequence of numbered solos, duets, and ensemble pieces, offered a framework within which the narrative unfolded. The choreography stood out for its robust structural integrity, even though this structure was inherently organic rather than predetermined. The music underscored the symbiotic relationship between movement and sound. There was a palpable and deliberate dissonance between dance and music, emphasizing their separated but shared existence in the temporal dimension. While movement creates this narrative, there was another intriguing presence on stage, an artist meticulously recreating fluorescent tape dancing figures on black card. As the lights dimmed at the close of the performance, we were left with figures whose movements seemed to hang suspended in time.
Mathilde Monnier’s never ending (Story) delves into the depths of Cunningham’s legacy guided by an improvised poem by David Antin. As the dancers navigated the intricacies of structure, rhythm, and emotion, I found myself drawn into a captivating exploration of the human experience. The rhythm of the dancers’ movements became the very heartbeat of the performance, the music. The speeches, infused with wit and humour, offered poignant reflections on the intersection of storytelling and movement, inviting interpretation and engagement from the audience. In the culmination of these stories through motion, structure, and sound, I found echoes of our own core structures, our deepest emotions and desires laid bare. In this dynamic exchange between language and movement, dancers not only articulate their stories but also listen to the resonance of their own voices within the context of the unfolding narrative.
In conclusion, Dance On Ensemble’s London Story and never ending (Story) transcend the boundaries of conventional dance performance, inviting audiences to partake in a multidimensional exploration of movement, language, and emotion. It is a testament to the enduring legacy of Merce Cunningham and a celebration of the transformative power of artistic expression.