Audience Review

Random free flow thoughts about:
 
Aynsley Vandenbroucke Movement Group's
3 Dancers, 4 Chairs, 26 Words
at CPR - The Center For Performance Research

May 14-17, 2009

 
The dimming lights of the auditorium felt clinical somehow, similar to the lights of medical hospitals or classrooms. A soothing voice….the internal voice….the voice that tells you what to think. Possibly the internal voice, or the collective voice of the world.  The slow reveal of front lights showcased a white thread running through each of the dance costumes as the words begin to be spoken and projected on the walls. Nouns and verbs used to describe things. Men. Women. Children. The idea that the labels we use towards ourselves dictate behavior and intent towards each other. They are infinite and can hold so many possibilities for the labeler and the labeled.
 
Watching 3 Dancers, 4 Chairs, 26 Words reminded me of a Samuel Beckett piece that I once directed called QUAD, which took into account every possible combination of light, movement, color and sound. The only thing missing in QUAD was a plot and dialogue, and if I could compare the pieces any further, I would say that Vandenbroucke adds that subtext through the layering of her dancers, chairs and words. The piece was mesmerizing to watch as each layer was revealed, shoved and manipulated through different speakers and movements. An accordion of perception, as each word was shaken and thrown.
 
 
Sara Pauley is a performing artist that lives in New York City who has collaborated and worked with Liz Sargent, the Crossing the Line Festival, the Wooster Group, PS122 and NTUSA. She recently received a Windows space grant through Chashama for LEGSHOW, an original performance installation that will premiere at the end of July in midtown Manhattan. www.sarapauley.com