28 years after its premier Ultima Vez have revived their visceral debut production What the Body Does Not Remember. Having been as faithful to the original production as possible the dance piece still excites and exhilarates.
Intended to be viewed as an abstract piece of performance, Wim Vandekeybus’s choreography challenges the performers to reach their physical limits. Their intensity must range from 0 to 100 in seconds, resulting in an explosive and fast paced show that demands the audience’s full attention.
Much of the time the stage is filled with various different images, as the whole company participate in nearly every scene. It would be an absolute joy to view the piece multiple times, just to process all the on stage activity.
As heavy blocks are flung through the air and the performers heavily stamp at each other’s limbs there is a real sense of dangerous controlled chaos. One wrong move could result in serious injury for the dancers or even the audience, especially in an intimate space such as the Dance House. One minute error in timing sent one of the blocks crashing into an onstage lighting stand – a reminder that live performance can be exhilaratingly unpredictable.
Many of the scenes showcased the company’s humour and warmth but a thread of violence was laced throughout the movement. Often there appeared to be a battle between the sexes, one minute the men lay on top of the women, trapping them with their body weight, then suddenly the women gained the upper hand chasing and confronting the men. One section in which the men intimately frisked the female dancers was uncomfortable to watch but so full of power and defiance.
In a post show talk, rehearsal director Eduardo Torroja explained that the company had spent time retraining the dancers to not be dancers. They had all the physical prowess required for the demanding choreography but at first over-performed every movement with a flourish. After many hours at the gym and rehearsal room the performers have lost all this daintiness – now their bodies unapologetically own the stage with crashes, bangs and brutal force.
Once again Sherman Cymru brought world-leading dance to the stage in Cardiff. Sadly it was only on for two nights, so all those who manage to get a ticket were given a complete treat.
Did you see the performance? What did you think?