Body Of Work

Wednesday night, I went to the Bluma Appel Theatre for the North American premiere of Opus by Australian troupe Circa. It promised to be an evening of circus arts as contemporary dance.

Cirque du Soleil has changed the circus scene. But though each of their show is themed, outside of costumes and sets, their individual acts only really pay lip-service to a grander narrative. Opus tried to play with the feelings and history of the music: Shostakovich's 11th, 8th, and 5th Quartet. As such, there were echos of struggle and oppression in the performers' movements and the various scenes.

First and foremost, it was a thrilling show. From jumps, spins, and handstands to precarious balancing acts and nifty apparatus (hoops, trapeze), this was the 1st dance/theatre performance I've been to where the audience gasped and often cheered or clapped. Yet it was the less flashy moments that stuck with me. My favourite scene had a mischievous pixie-haired girl wandered the stage without touching the ground, thanks to the shoulders, backs, heads, and other body parts of her fellow acrobats.

But there was more to the show than feats of strength and balance. The performers used their skills to tell  stories: romance, conflict, peace, and anger. The Debussy String Quartet not only provided fine music, but were part of the narrative. They did not sit off to one side as background characters. Overall, Opus would be even better artistically with even more dance elements: using a style like contact improv may be a good fit; developing a musical vocabulary that uses repetition and variation; and reducing the big climaxes that require long set-up which break the flow. But these small quibbles aside, the show was a wonderful exploration of the human body and spirit.