Last Tuesday, I went to see ULTIMA VEZ perform in Hanover--a wild and memorable evening! This Belgian group was touring with this piece by Wim Vandekeybus which rocked the dance world 25 years ago! And now--restaged-- it's still very innovative and thrilling. A game-like structure holds the dance together; episodes are unified by the use of a prop, or sound, and by a very restricted movement vocabulary. The performers include dancers, actors, jugglers, etc.! Very high energy -- sometimes playful, but on the edge of violence and mayhem!
A disturbing section involved man and woman as partners--the woman forced to stand with arms outstretched and legs spread apart., while the man "feels up and touches" various parts of her body; the women seem irritated but submit passively. Sometimes the roles switch. There is a mood of subdued violence, dominance, and manipulation. The game-like structure keeps if from feeling downright sadistic. But I found it on the edge of horrifying, saved by the "game" approach which made the audience feel somewhat safe. The last episode was based on stamping; at first we feared that one dancer would violently stamp on another, but after a while, it began to look a bit tame, even ludicrous-- because we know no one would really get hurt. Unlike Pina Bausch, where the violence feels closer to reality. However, I could imagine that Pina Bausch might have been influenced by this dance and this choreographer.
A disturbing section involved man and woman as partners--the woman forced to stand with arms outstretched and legs spread apart., while the man "feels up and touches" various parts of her body; the women seem irritated but submit passively. Sometimes the roles switch. There is a mood of subdued violence, dominance, and manipulation. The game-like structure keeps if from feeling downright sadistic. But I found it on the edge of horrifying, saved by the "game" approach which made the audience feel somewhat safe. The last episode was based on stamping; at first we feared that one dancer would violently stamp on another, but after a while, it began to look a bit tame, even ludicrous-- because we know no one would really get hurt. Unlike Pina Bausch, where the violence feels closer to reality. However, I could imagine that Pina Bausch might have been influenced by this dance and this choreographer.