The Strand Theater, Dorchester, MA.
November 6, 2022
You can in all probability conjure the psychological picture: individuals transferring collectively, in neighborhood, together with vibrant music. We have that at weddings and highschool dances – and is that every one? Indeed, the basic human expertise of transferring along with rhythm and sound as a information — is that one thing that we’ve turn out to be all too disconnected with?
The internationally-reaching ANIKAYA Dance Theater’s The Women Gather, with Wendy Jehlen as director/choreographer, illustrated that quintessential human expertise: in sound, in motion, in communal sharing. That mix had the potential to remind us of the sweetness and energy of what we’ve left behind.
The work established an avant-garde really feel from the very begin, with the ensemble transferring in fairly particular person, seemingly improvisational methods. Wearing free, earth-toned costumes, they lunged, gestured, merely walked and far more. While transferring, they intonated with impassioned chants.
Also within the soundscape was a rating of a lady talking (music course from Shaw Pong Liu), in addition to the percussive foot stamping of a few of the dancers. Soft reddish mild bathed the area, and mushy purple set items additionally hung from the ceiling, stringed and comely (set up/textile artwork from Marlene Santana, Raquel Flor, Annie Wiegand and Grace Keller).
Intriguing issues slowly developed, akin to a pair of dancers turning round one another whereas resting their head within the criminal of the opposite’s neck. The performers have been principally absorbed in their very own experiences, versus immediately interacting with one another – but there have been some moments of such overt connection. There was at all times connection within the area, nonetheless — airborne and permeable.
Soon, one dancer started singing, in a robust and clear voice. Most of the group paused and confronted her. The area saved room for individuality and non-conformity, nonetheless; a pair of performers continued transferring. Finding extra overt commonality, the group joined her in singing. At the following inflection level, like a transparent and efficient paragraph break, the ensemble shifted into extra round motion. Concentric circles of dancers moved round an invisible heart, creating a sense of formality within the area — one thing historic and highly effective.
Another paragraph break had the singing ending and the area going silent, aside from the sound of breath. Dancers slowly softened to the bottom, and the sound of simply one in all respiration closely rung by way of the area. Surrounding that sound was that of deep, easy exhales – the soundscape nonetheless stuffed with layers. Calm enveloped exertion. Jehlen created many such little sections, not so brief as to really feel uneven or underdeveloped however not as long as for something to begin to really feel stale — stability, and one with intriguing decisions for separate moments of motion inside the group.
As the lights got here down (lighting design by Annie Wiegand), and the area notably dimmed, I considered cycles: how all issues expertise night time and a time for sleep. Singing re-entered the soundscape once more, this time mushy but in a manner haunting, because the dancers started to slowly rise and transfer. They rippled like seaweed in a delicate ocean present. As they moved and sang softly, collectively, it felt like a mutually supportive neighborhood had emerged.
Soon, the singing, which had been mushy and hum-like together with the witnessing, shifted into louder and far more staccato calls. Then, on a dime, it stopped. That cycle continued, the singing rising after which abruptly stopping: chatting with the cycles of formality, neighborhood, spirituality, and reference to earth, themes that resonated by way of the work. Underscoring such themes, one dancer quickly went by way of a technique of standing simply exterior the group after which transferring previous them in a line, over a few of their backs. Others locally witnessed and chanted.
Another dancer started to maneuver backward and forward, as if crammed with an out of doors drive or spirit. The group surrounded her and, in flip, blew on her – and that alone precipitated her to maneuver. That evinced fragility, however she was additionally contained and held by the group. Speaking to rebirth and renewal, she discovered a brand new energy; with out touching them, her spacious motion pushed them again.
Then, not with one singled out from the group, they have been all drawn to a drive greater than themselves – transferring collectively as a flock, as if moved by an out of doors drive, from one space of the stage to a different. They then separated and transfer slowly, maybe even overcome by that drive greater than them, encoutering its energy.
Soon the ensemble discovered a seated circle, with one performer signing and one other dancing within the center. At sure factors they drew nearer to totally different neighborhood members within the group, gesturing and acknowledging. The deep anthropological significance right here, the deep ties to human historical past (and pre-history), weren’t misplaced on me.
The subsequent part had simply as a lot anthropological significance; audio got here up and dancers rose, in flip, to stroll to a bit of the stage with cups and water. They undressed right down to their undergarments, after which start to scrub with the water. These are historic communal human behaviors of care – of self and different. In small teams and pairs, they braided one another’s hair and gave hugs of gratitude and recognition. They dressed once more, in purple clothes this time: purple, as a continued theme or aesthetic alternative within the work, returning.
Newly dressed, some sat on the perimeter of the area and confronted into the middle. One dancer started to maneuver, gesturing and percussing together with her ft – main some sitting on the perimeter to rise to their ft. It felt virtually like a name to motion. What motion? Next, they moved to a circle to type a cypher. That deepened the anthropological depth and that means right here: peoples gathering to look at each other transfer in a circle, reflecting the trail of the star in our sky that gives for all life, in historic societies and into Indigenous communities nonetheless present immediately.
Different ladies got here out and in of dancing within the heart, and all had an opportunity to be witnessed. Those across the edge clapped and chanted, as an instance that shut witnessing. Before lengthy, the dancers have been transferring collectively in an extended line, in full unison for one of many few occasions in this system. Individual and neighborhood — each are legitimate and each are vital.
Enhancing the ritualistic sense at hand, they undulated their backbone ahead and again in addition to lunged deep — sustaining connection to earth but in addition to sky. They got here to a circle the place they grooved out, having fun with their very own motion after which bowed (as a gaggle and individually, the latter with area for their very own motion or sound). This ending introduced a candy, linked, joyful really feel – one thing that we will all use in an all-too unfavorable and unsure world.
Bringing much more connection, after the bow, Jehlen referred to as all viewers members to return to the stagespace and draw (artwork provides supplied). This felt like a beautiful option to interact viewers members in embodied making, in a manner that might be extra accessible to all (some may not really feel comfy transferring, and incapacity entry is a crucial issue to contemplate).
Granted, and admittedly, the unapologetically avant-garde method of The Women Gather may not be everybody’s cup of tea. Yet, nobody may say it wasn’t crafted with thoughtfulness, dedication and true care. And for me, how this program underscored the deep human roots of sound, motion and communal sharing of these issues – it made my coronary heart float. We in trendy life, by and huge, have turn out to be disconnected from how basic and exquisite these issues are. Let’s reconnect. Thank you to ANIKAYA Dance Theater for serving to us step nearer to that!
By Kathryn Boland of Dance Informa.
