Quand le Corps S’exprime: The Body’s Narrative

Quand le Corps S’exprime: The Body’s Narrative is pure poetry from start to finish. Beginning and ending in silence, it is a production without story, theme, or statement, it is pure dance.

With a bare stage except for a long strip of white fabric with black markings, draped vertically at the start of the production, the ensemble of three women and two men in flesh briefs and bodysuits begin the all too short forty-five minutes in slow motion. As the soundtrack joins them, they move in canon, in unison, in solo and in duos.

The work is lyrical with slow controlled moves, with some faster and more complex passages. A solo dancer interacts with the material strip, gathering it, before removing it altogether. The fabric idea is repeated with three dancers, one with a very long strip of white fabric tied around his waist, extending off stage and another dancer carrying a third on his shoulders with another long white strip. The effect is mesmerising!

Other highlights are - three dancers performing behind a horizontal strip of clear plastic giving a watery, almost swimming feeling, particularly with the accompanying music and blue lighting, all giving the ethereal quality of flowing water.

There is a pas de deux (if that is the correct terminology for this production) with a male and female dancer in blue dance pants. The section features many lifts all handled seemingly without effort. (I was sitting close to the front)

My personal favourite section involved a long red strip of fabric held aloft by a female dancer on a male dancer’s shoulders moving across the stage in a funeral-like procession. At the end of the strip is a female dancer with her back to us who sits and ‘dances’ with her arms and shoulders, a truly beautiful moment!

The ‘finale’ to the production is performed by the entire company with fans that have transparent material attached so it trails as they move. There are solos, duets and finally all five performers moving in perfect unison their fans trailing, sometimes behind them and other times in front of their faces. They end, as they began, in silence, fans still moving, an image that lives on after the production ends.

Quand le Corps S’exprime: The Body’s Narrative features some of Taiwan’s best young dancers. The enthusiastic response of the audience at the conclusion of the performance is an indication both of the artistry of the dancers, their choreography, and a recognition of their talent and skill. Hopefully audience numbers will build as this production is worthy of full houses!

Barry Hill OAM

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