It’s an acquired taste, but when the music drops, so does your jaw
Sung Im Her’s latest work, 1 Degree Celsius, presented at the Southbank Centre, is a mixed bag that oscillates between challenging performance art and exhilarating contemporary dance. While the show is certainly not an accessible entry point for dance novices, those already familiar with and appreciative of interpretive movement will find moments of high quality performance.
The opening twenty minutes, which starts with the choreographer alone on stage, proves to be the production’s greatest stumbling block. Set to either silence or atmospheric humming, the movements felt disconnected and labored. This initial section leaned heavily into performance art, resulting in a start that felt more abstract and less like what many would typically define as a dance show. Unfortunately, in this 50-minute-long production, this slower, more opaque segment took up a significant portion of the running time.
The show undergoes a striking transformation once the percussive music kicks in. At this point, the audience is finally treated to the incredible dance and movement promised by the production. The talented dancers execute moments of highly synchronised walking across the stage. While there is an awful lot of rhythmic walking, the precision, coordination, and the sudden, sharp changes in movement make these sections highly effective and visually interesting. This is where the piece truly becomes entertaining and showcases the high skill level of the performers.
The show is reportedly intended to “look at the topic of climate change and the effects it is having on the environment.” However, the abstract nature of the choreography makes this theme practically impossible to glean purely from the performance itself. Without prior knowledge of the program’s notes, the intended environmental message is completely lost within the movement.
Ultimately, while I would not recommend this show to someone looking to get into seeing dance performances, if you are an existing fan of interpretive contemporary dance, this would be a great show for you.