The dance explores the issues of misogyny, superstition and sexual hatred. ‘Le Sacre du Printemps’ captivated my attention with its dynamic and lively movements as well as its startling context. The set is designed so the dancers perform on a floor covered with dark soil. A large spotlight dimly appears shining across the centre stage leaving the rest of the stage into darkness. A woman is put into a red dress in order to be sacrificed and sexually victimised by the men. Even though it seemed at times quite intense and disturbing, I enjoyed how incredibly gripping it was as. the music intensified the dance became more violent and horrific, creating a build up of dramatic tension. They were covered with filth helped create a more savage effect.
‘Cafe Müller’ was a different story. I was surprised me by it's so strangeness yet enchanted at the same time. There were moments of sudden movements (one dancer cautiously flung the chairs so that the other could move to the other side of the stage.) And there were other moments where the movements were slow and gentle, a male and female dancer kiss and embrace. It dealt with feelings of pain and longing emphasising the realities of everyday life. Vivid emotions of pain appeared through the dancing. A clip of Pina performing the dance when it was first introduced, clearly showed the pain in her eyes, her arms extending out to the audience as she moved slowly from the back. I felt empathetic but helpless because she has no one to long for yet she is longing for something.
'Vollmond' is another great piece with such a rhythmic and energetic feel to it. The music was so infectious and the dancers’ facial expressions gave us a delightful aura as they burst into the scene with excitement leaping away onto the stage. In this scene there is a giant rock surrounded by a pool of water with rain sparkling down, so the dancers flung themselves onto the water, swimming, kicking and swaying. Somehow they are driven by some sort of force that compels them to dance as if their lives depend on it but it is this force that draws the audience’s attention. What I like the most about this piece is how liberated the dancers are as they splash around the water and climb and slide down the huge rock.
You can see a continuous pattern emerging in which Pina brings nature into her pieces like Vollmond and Le Sacre du Printemps. I believe this is an innovative way to make dance interesting for the dancers to interact with nature and to create different pieces. However, the film isn’t solely based inside the theatre but outside as well. Several duos’ and solos are performed in site-specific areas such as shut-down factories, busy roads, forests etc. This gives the intention that dance can be performed anywhere in order to test the dimensions of space within other surroundings and creates a sense of freedom.
I must admit I didn’t know any of her pieces beforehand, but I was appalled at myself for not knowing any of them sooner. I specifically enjoyed her approach to dance and it’s philosophy; exploring the ways in which we can use the language of dance without words in order to express how we feel when we can’t express ourselves verbally. Sometimes I find myself in that position, wondering how just one single word could translate into so many powerful movements.
One of her quotes stated “I’m not interested in how people move, I’m interested in what moves them” I think this is true to some extent, as I believe that how you move is equally important and when you combine it with what moves you it is powerful. And yes I agree that with Pina that when you dance you must be moved by something, whether it is the music, the dance itself or the concept behind the dance which evokes something emotional inside you and therefore you have a sudden urge to dance. This may sound cheesy, but dancing does come from the heart. If you look at Carlos Acosta; Rudolph Nureyev, Fred Astaire and Michael Jackson, all of them have become renowned artists of the world simply because they perform with an inconceivable passion. Yes, it is important to have as much technique as you can in order to excel but the actual truth is that when you dance from within; the passion that pours out from you affects the audience as they can see it and believe it. It is often the ones who perform with passion, that perform with conviction. And I believe that Pina has achieved this by teaching it to all of her company members.
One of her quotes stated “I’m not interested in how people move, I’m interested in what moves them” I think this is true to some extent, as I believe that how you move is equally important and when you combine it with what moves you it is powerful. And yes I agree that with Pina that when you dance you must be moved by something, whether it is the music, the dance itself or the concept behind the dance which evokes something emotional inside you and therefore you have a sudden urge to dance. This may sound cheesy, but dancing does come from the heart. If you look at Carlos Acosta; Rudolph Nureyev, Fred Astaire and Michael Jackson, all of them have become renowned artists of the world simply because they perform with an inconceivable passion. Yes, it is important to have as much technique as you can in order to excel but the actual truth is that when you dance from within; the passion that pours out from you affects the audience as they can see it and believe it. It is often the ones who perform with passion, that perform with conviction. And I believe that Pina has achieved this by teaching it to all of her company members.
Once you’ve seen Pina, you understand what Pina is all about as an expressionist, as a dancer, as a choreographer and as a person, you feel more connected with her and feel somehow magically part of her works. And that's as personal as it gets.
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