We sat down with contemporary dance and physical theatre collective POCKETART whose latest work Fairy Tales (UK Premiere) features eight female dancers and two musicians in an exploration of the intersection of femininity, identity and self-discovery (22 & 23 Oct, The Place).
Fairy Tales explores the intersection of femininity, identity, and self-discovery. How did you approach the challenge of representing such complex themes through dance and physical theatre, and what impact do you hope it will have on audiences?
I think regarding the physical material used in the piece there are two layers, that are present. One is a search for what is common for us in these themes, what movements and meanings can we share and the other is how different we are in approaching them and how specific and individual these topics can be for each and every one of us. During the process we were trying to find a specific material for each of the dancers so they could dive deep into a specific individual physicality and topic and at the same time we were working on common scenes that are more about a group struggle or group belonging. I hope the audience can feel that despite the difficulties that this space between the individual and the group can bring sometimes it can also be a space of play, lightness and sharing.
The work invites audiences to reconnect with childhood experiences and reimagine their own “happy endings.” How did the process of revisiting these fairy tale archetypes influence the choreography and overall narrative of the performance?
We started working with objects and costumes that were evoking different fairy tale characters and stories, some of them more concretely some less. But in general, we took these stories as a starting point for creating of our own complex imaginary world where you might recognize some fairy tales but we take them in our own unexpected ways.
With eight female dancers and two musicians, Fairy Tales features a strong emphasis on collaborative storytelling. Can you share some insights into how the music and choreography were developed together to enhance the themes of the show?
I like the expression collaborative storytelling because that is really what Fairy Tales is. Usually in our creations all the elements of dance, music, scenography and dramaturgy are present from the very beginning of the process, so the piece is shaped by many voices from the start. As we are using old fairy tales and we`re twisting them in the show we also wanted to use some old romantic music but in our own way. We chose a part of Tchaikovski`s Sleeping Beauty that the musicians deconstructed and made new compositions out of it. It gives you this feeling of some kind of new romanticism. Very atmospheric, emotional, utopistic sometimes.
POCKETART often tackles societal issues that transcend individual experience. How does Fairy Tales address larger societal conversations about gender, identity, and the expectations placed on women in both fairy tales and real life?
I think it opens up a space for many possibilities. It offers many interpretations, many ways how one can inhabit certain patterns and models that has been given upon them from previous generations. In Fairy Tales it is the power of our imagination and fantasy that can give us the freedom to play with these on our own terms and to shape our lives the way we want.
The visuals, sound, and dance in Fairy Tales are described as “striking” and “virtuosic.” How do these elements come together to create an immersive experience for the audience, and what role does playfulness have in shaping the tone of the production?
The visual aspect of Fairy Tales invites you into kind of a childhood room which then starts to twist and shift and where different creatures appear and disappear. The whole piece is really an epic journey of these eight women through different quests, characters and emotional states, all this supported by amazing voice of singer Sara Vondraskova and strong guitar of Lukas Palan. The audience is invited to experience a wide range of atmospheres from very light to very dark and throughout the piece to also reflect on their own relationship to stories that shape us and the role of our own imagination. I think both the presence of the dancers and the dramaturgy of the piece are constantly in dialog between the reality of eight contemporary women on stage and the fantasy of the characters and creatures appearing through them. This movement allows the lightness, irony, humour and playfulness to appear.
Dance Umbrella Festival runs at various venues, and online until 31 October.