Beyond the feeling and melody

Intriguing the process by which to create an overall texture and volume of space in dance. I have been interested in how to convert a dancing space and manipulate time and space, creating odd textures, in effect proposing an environment while communicating some challenge in the way we view the world, even our own realities. I have lost one day, becoming terribly ill and with this unbelievable cough that hurts inside my chest each time i break into a series of whopping sounds. It pierces my heart and for a moment I experience the sharp pain equal to a heartache. No more fever today but too weak to get up, I have this dance playing repeatedly in my head. Its no help that the weather is this way, I cannot stay in bed anymore. I am getting anxious.

back to this attempted review... Last sunday, deprived of sleep and rest I attend Airdance's concert of Malakas at Maganda at their studio, Outlet Yard. The concert, brings together the artists exploration of the concept of beauty and strength, through choreography. The studio was draped in black curtains, mimicking a "theatrical space" with dancers doing their exits and entrance and the lights fading out after every piece. As of late, I myself have been interested in the non-coventional methods of theatricality or challenging this "mystique" that pervade and frame the way we do our dance. As for Airdance situation, they have mounted several shows at their studio, challenging the idea of a "performance space" by declaring their studio as such. However their last two shows for the season, the space has been (consciously or unconciously) transformed to mimic a "theater" with black curtains around, distinct entrance and exits, and ocassional "procensium" projection of the other dancers. While the attempt to develop a contemporary vocabulary of moving is clearly seen in the range of repertoire shown, as an audience of dance I find myself looking for something more. Now that a modest audience for contemporary dance is there, the quest to continually challenge their frames of reference remains. Such that it doesnt seem enough to show our contemporary concerns as artists, going out of our "ballet training" or discussing accessible themes in our dances. It is my belief that contemporary dance is not only about "contemporary ways of moving" moreso it should also challenge the conventional frames by which we view dance and the body. To push it even further, to overcome the cliche of dance. Questioning ourselves even while performing, questioning our feeling, challenging the melody in our head. Even its purpose in our lives as dancers.

Maybe its just me and where I am at right now, but I am missing so much more from the show. It didnt help at all that the lights we merely decoration and failed to change the dynamics of the space. Indeed it felt like 3 pm more inside the studio than outside. Billy Forsythe once said that he attempts to colonize the space with his choreography, whereby the whole character of the space is transformed by material, presenting a new dynamics to the space. This attempt did show in Jethro Pioquinto's choreography with the whole company as cast. It showed a deliberate attempt to challenge our focus as audience, not shifting the focus from one group to another but creating situations with different small groups all happening at the same time and then coming together at some point. This carried me until the end.