Momix: Detached Passion
Who turned a promising dance performance into an overpriced slideshow?
Dance troupe Momix has come round to perform their show “Passion” at the Badminton Theatre, from December 1-7. The setup looked promising: a modern dance performance accompanied by the music of Peter Gabriel - written for Martin Scorsese’s 1988 movie “The Last Temptation of Christ”, itself based on the eponymous novel by Nikos Kazantzakis - and choreographed by Moses Pendleton, Momix’s Artistic Director and co-founder of Pilobolus.
Passion is not a new creation. Pendleton pondered on the relation between the human body’s earthly presence and its spiritual incarnation as far back as 1991. It enjoyed complimentary reviews back then, and not without reason. The performing dancers portrayed playful and astounding investigations into the body’s capabilities, a trademark of Pendleton’s, as well as collaboratively evoking ever-changing images in 21 separated micro-routines. Even the inevitable image of Christ on the cross was dynamically recreated within ropes of a trapeze, allowing for a maximum of movement of three performers floating and spinning in the air.
But choices made in the work’s conceptualization did raise a few questions. Why, if wanting to show the beauty and expressive capacity of the human body, mask it for the entire duration with a gauze screen? This theatrical technique, in which projections cover the proscenium frame on one hand and atmospheric lighting reveals subjects in motion behind it on the other, has been used to great effect on many an occasion, and if done thoughtfully can work up magical tableaus. But in Passion, the selected visuals, still-images of faces, spaces, and the occasional pantheistic reference seemed only to interfere with the on-stage action. On one occasion only do dancers interact with the screen, shadow shaping bendable sticks into flowing patterns. However, this particularly anticlimactic finale scene would be much better served by shifting it to the show’s beginnings, after which the fourth wall could have been dropped or lifted.
Perhaps it was Pendleton’s motive to create this barrier between the oft faceless entities on stage and their observers. Maybe this constituted the proverbial rift between faith and the faithful. When it finally does drop at the performance’s very end, the immediate effect is a sigh of relief (and a breath of cool, fresh air wafting into the uncomfortably warm confines of the auditorium). Here, then, our artistic interpreters are finally united with our imaginations. We had to endure a sequence of depictions of trees, deities, statues, pyramids (the glass structure at the Louvre now sadly an unintended reference to Brown’s Da Vinci Code) and ice blocks floating in the sea (climate change, anyone?). Was this at all necessary?
The magic of art is that it can invoke a different picture to each individual spectator. When a body of dancers clusters together, arms and feet outstretched and swaying, one person will see a tree of life, another sees the goddess Shiva. This is the history of spiritualization. It should be left to personal interpretation, rather than hewn in stone, or inscribed in a book of laws.
Peter Gabriel’s score on the other hand leaves the gate open. Passion’s music is of a timeless quality which features the ephemeral voices of Yousou N’dour, Gabriel himself and the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, never laying on a particular style but merging earthy drones and worldly rhythms with melodic gravitas. It would have helped the flow and pace of the performance had the music been segued, without falling silent in blackouts between tracks. This became very repetitive, tedious, and in no way helped the show’s approachability.
Accessible art thus became last night’s theme. The show might originally have set out to ask “What is wrong with the world today?” Instead, it inadvertently posed the question “What is wrong with the world of arts entertainment today?” Supporting artists for their creations is a privilege. It is also heartwarming to see a modern dance performance fill up high capacity venues such as the new Badminton Theatre. However, with front section seats going for €70 euros a piece, this was one pricey slideshow, and at that sum one would almost expect to see Peter Gabriel perform the music live.
Next up from promoters GMI Corporation is Woody Allen with the New Orleans Jazz Band on the 28th & 29th of December. Yes, Mr Allen will be there in person, playing live, but it will set you back between €60 and €165. That’s right, €165.
Of course, you could always see Woody’s latest motion picture Cassandra’s Dream at your local cinema for €8. That’s a temptation many a Christos or Christina will be much more eager to give in to.
Dance troupe Momix has come round to perform their show “Passion” at the Badminton Theatre, from December 1-7. The setup looked promising: a modern dance performance accompanied by the music of Peter Gabriel - written for Martin Scorsese’s 1988 movie “The Last Temptation of Christ”, itself based on the eponymous novel by Nikos Kazantzakis - and choreographed by Moses Pendleton, Momix’s Artistic Director and co-founder of Pilobolus.
Passion is not a new creation. Pendleton pondered on the relation between the human body’s earthly presence and its spiritual incarnation as far back as 1991. It enjoyed complimentary reviews back then, and not without reason. The performing dancers portrayed playful and astounding investigations into the body’s capabilities, a trademark of Pendleton’s, as well as collaboratively evoking ever-changing images in 21 separated micro-routines. Even the inevitable image of Christ on the cross was dynamically recreated within ropes of a trapeze, allowing for a maximum of movement of three performers floating and spinning in the air.
But choices made in the work’s conceptualization did raise a few questions. Why, if wanting to show the beauty and expressive capacity of the human body, mask it for the entire duration with a gauze screen? This theatrical technique, in which projections cover the proscenium frame on one hand and atmospheric lighting reveals subjects in motion behind it on the other, has been used to great effect on many an occasion, and if done thoughtfully can work up magical tableaus. But in Passion, the selected visuals, still-images of faces, spaces, and the occasional pantheistic reference seemed only to interfere with the on-stage action. On one occasion only do dancers interact with the screen, shadow shaping bendable sticks into flowing patterns. However, this particularly anticlimactic finale scene would be much better served by shifting it to the show’s beginnings, after which the fourth wall could have been dropped or lifted.
Perhaps it was Pendleton’s motive to create this barrier between the oft faceless entities on stage and their observers. Maybe this constituted the proverbial rift between faith and the faithful. When it finally does drop at the performance’s very end, the immediate effect is a sigh of relief (and a breath of cool, fresh air wafting into the uncomfortably warm confines of the auditorium). Here, then, our artistic interpreters are finally united with our imaginations. We had to endure a sequence of depictions of trees, deities, statues, pyramids (the glass structure at the Louvre now sadly an unintended reference to Brown’s Da Vinci Code) and ice blocks floating in the sea (climate change, anyone?). Was this at all necessary?
The magic of art is that it can invoke a different picture to each individual spectator. When a body of dancers clusters together, arms and feet outstretched and swaying, one person will see a tree of life, another sees the goddess Shiva. This is the history of spiritualization. It should be left to personal interpretation, rather than hewn in stone, or inscribed in a book of laws.
Peter Gabriel’s score on the other hand leaves the gate open. Passion’s music is of a timeless quality which features the ephemeral voices of Yousou N’dour, Gabriel himself and the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, never laying on a particular style but merging earthy drones and worldly rhythms with melodic gravitas. It would have helped the flow and pace of the performance had the music been segued, without falling silent in blackouts between tracks. This became very repetitive, tedious, and in no way helped the show’s approachability.
Accessible art thus became last night’s theme. The show might originally have set out to ask “What is wrong with the world today?” Instead, it inadvertently posed the question “What is wrong with the world of arts entertainment today?” Supporting artists for their creations is a privilege. It is also heartwarming to see a modern dance performance fill up high capacity venues such as the new Badminton Theatre. However, with front section seats going for €70 euros a piece, this was one pricey slideshow, and at that sum one would almost expect to see Peter Gabriel perform the music live.
Next up from promoters GMI Corporation is Woody Allen with the New Orleans Jazz Band on the 28th & 29th of December. Yes, Mr Allen will be there in person, playing live, but it will set you back between €60 and €165. That’s right, €165.
Of course, you could always see Woody’s latest motion picture Cassandra’s Dream at your local cinema for €8. That’s a temptation many a Christos or Christina will be much more eager to give in to.
posted by Marq at
2:08 PM
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