Still Bill Vol. 2

The night of Nuit Blanche, I decided to check out a dance recital down at Harbourfront first. Dancemakers had on a show titled Double Bill #2. Presumably there was Double Bill #1 and the series will continue. I had no trouble securing a ticket at the last minute as there was only about 30 people in the 300+ Enwave Theatre. I was able to get a seat right at the front. Although I don't begrudge the $38 seat, if I was on a budget I think I would not be happy with the agent for not offering me the cheaper $28 seat up on the second level. After all, the theatre was more than half empty and the 2-3 people up there were invited to come down and sit with us on the main level.

The theme of the 2 pieces "Show" and "So You Think The Spectacle Does Not Love You" was art versus show. What does it mean to be a contemporary dancer in an atmosphere of shows such as "So You Think You Can Dance", "Dancing With the Stars", "America's Best Dance Crew" and so on?  Does it mean you add a little more razzle-dazzle? Use pop songs in your pieces? Dismiss them as superficial?

The first piece had the dancers in small groups, dancing with each other, supporting and sometimes mirroring each other's moves. But subtly a bit of competition would creep in. Who can dance the fastest? Who has the highest kick? The dancers put on incomplete costumes made out of paper: a pair of pants, a vest, a shirt. The piece ended with them all rushing to the front of the stage multiple times, increasingly frenetic, feeding on the (imaginary) applause.

The second piece is a stage somewhere, as dancers move through: chatting, sitting, changing clothes. They do moves that suggests dance exercises. Over and over, sequences of movements are repeated, trying to achieve perfection. The music of the pieces have been electronic sounds, beeps, and chirps. It's interesting to see a dance sequence, "practiced" 4-5 times by a dancer, suddenly becomes something different when the spotlight shines on her and a ballad-y pop song starts to play. Is it still art or a 60-second piece by Mia Michaels to choose America's favourite dancer?

I liked this recital much more the last dance recital. But overall I was a bit underwhelmed. When there are several dancers, I typically like to see more interactions in the choreography. Technique-wise, this shows a mastery of their craft. Artistically, there is more opportunity for innovation. When each dancer does their own thing, I tend to cynically wonder if there are varying levels of skill which prevent them from collaboration.