We haven’t said enough - NDT 2
Performed live over three nights, from the Zuiderstrandtheater in The Hague directly to screens all over the globe, Nederlands Dans Theatre 2 (NDT 2) showcase their ability to carry themes of human concern, grief and shifting relationships on bodies that move with a mechanical drive. In both The Big Crying by Marco Goecke and Johan Inger’s IMPASSE, the cast navigate intricacies of the human psyche with power and poise, such so that the distorted and creature-esque body becomes a beautifully wild metaphor for the celebration of life and individuality.
The Big Crying opens the evening’s programme with an emotional heaviness, weighting the space with unfurling relationships and colliding pathways. Sparked by a crackling flame on stage, the opening solo sets the pace, with jagged convulsions fuelling the body, projecting tension through the dynamic, angular and isolated movements. Progressing through solo, duet, small and large ensemble sections, Goecke creates distinctly reflective moments, transitioning through an arc that hovers between personal and impersonal. Bodies fall together, lock limbs, collide chest to chest, push and pull between the space that outlines each body, yet their gaze often never meets. What these moments do unearth, however, is a vulnerability of expression. During these tactile interactions, animated and emotive reactions wash over the faces of the performers; anguish and pain alive in their grimaces and wide mouths. A cathartic release of screams and hysteric laughter ensues and, whilst slightly unsettling, seems to lift the darkness. Reflection and memory become key components of the closing moments in this thirty minute work. Moving more fluidly, the cast’s arms and chest ripple like a flock of soaring birds and their palms cover and uncover their eyes as though freed from that which was blinding them. A poignant image that remains is of the body of one person, stood with their back to the viewer, greeted one by one by the other performers. They approach, they touch part of the body and then they fade away. This moment feels completely cleansing, to witness the body recognising memories and emotions stirred through touch, before allowing them to melt into the space. Goecke allows us to indulge in the traces left behind, constructing a work that will leave you contemplating how change can make you feel completely alive and attune, even if it is means letting go of something else.
IMPASSE by Johan Inger, the second work performed in this double bill, utilises the space to create a visual and dynamic depiction of a constrictive world, one in which the influence of those around us leads to a loss of self and identity. Three dancers share the stage to begin with, moving through a large door at the back of the space to interact playfully and innocently; flitting about with sharp turns and flirting with touch. Curiosity develops and the trio explore falling and catching; supporting each other with gripped wrists as they tip from vertical to horizontal, their bodies synced to create a wheel-like fluidity. Striking through the light atmosphere, darkly dressed bodies bound into the space, confidently surrounding the trio. They jolt and slice across the stage with low and weighted movements, part functional and part technical but always exaggerated, capturing the attention of the viewer and seemingly overwhelming the impressionable three, who vanish into the crowd. Inger has orchestrated IMPASSE so that the viewer can recognise these shifts and create clear distinctions in the narrative. It is almost impossible to get lost along the way which, although showcases strong storytelling, leaves limited space for the viewer to navigate meaning and symbolism in a way that evokes further questioning, beyond the duration of the piece. Although I wanted to fumble through the work more, one element was constantly changing, with such subtlety that it was unnoticeable until it came to the forefront, and that was the stage. Gradually, as the stage filled with bodies, it became smaller, restricting movement and forcing proximity. Within this time, over roughly thirty minutes, theatrics appear and disappear, along with diamanté covered jumpsuits and catwalks across the stage; the loss of space taking with it the embellishment of flair and eccentricity. Manipulated by the space itself, the trio are the only ones to remain, but stripped of their freedom to move and express their own identity lends the question of what is actually left behind? And how do they move forward?
Click the button below to learn more about NDT 2, read the programme notes for We haven’t said enough and watch rehearsal footage.
IMPASSE by Johan Inger.
Photo: Joris-Jan Bos
Dancer: Tess Voelker