DESEO – ANOUK VAN DIJK DC
Imagine a black box theatre divided in two sections by means of a wall right in the middle of it, white on one site, green on the other. On both sides of the wall there are seats. The wall also divides the performance area in two. Imagine five excellent dancers, dancing alternately at the two sides of the wall. The wall isn’t big enough to prevent the audiences on both sides from noticing parts of the performance on the other side. But if they want to see the full performance, they will have to visit the show again and take a seat on the other side of the wall.
This is the basic setup for the show Deseo by Anouk van Dijk DC, a dance company residing in Amsterdam. In itself the concept is already strong enough for a very entertaining and intriguing show. But the choreographer went beyond that basic concept. To start with, Deseo, meaning ‘I desire’ in Spanish, is not simply a choreography on two different sections of a performance area. In fact there are two different choreographies, one for each side of the wall. One choreography is highly expressive and energetic, with dancers throwing themselves on the floor and standing up again, and repetitively slapping the wall. The other choreography is dramatic, poetic and at times even romantic. However, the choreographies on both sides are filled with desire.
What also makes this show very appealing for a broad audience, is the fact that the choreographer has been using all possible theatrical means to lift the performance to a higher and more entertaining level. Entertaining is the right word, here. Deseo is an outstanding artistic achievement by choreographer and dancers, and it has become a very entertaining show as well. For example, both male dancers occasionally grab a microphone to comment on the performance and to talk to each other, provoking the audience to participate. Also humour is a prominent component in the performance, with lots of small visual and auditive surprises, ranging from a foot showing up on the top of the wall to unexplainable laughter from the other side of the wall. These details definitely make the show more attractive to see.
There are a few other things that struck me in Deseo. One is the size of the performance area, which is quite small. This means that the audience is real close to the performers, who regularly make eye contact with them. At one point a visitor is even invited to join the dance. This lack of distance makes Deseo a very intimate show. What also struck me were the extreme differences in character of the performances on both sides of the wall. Every time you see one side, you want to see the other one immediately afterwards. A continuous circle of perfectly balanced performances that never stop being exciting.
Seen on ‘De Parade’ in Rotterdam and Amsterdam
This review is in English because of my application for the FRINGE REVIEWERS INCUBATOR 2010. In the future, I may write more reviews in English.
