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By
Jenny Enarsson
Background
on the production company:
State
of Emergency Limited is a dance and music production company that
was founded in 1986 and provides a forum for Black British choreographers.
The production title, 'The Mission' was chosen as a statement on
the wealth of black choreographic talent available within British
dance.
Thoughts
on the production:
The
latest production from State of Emergency Limited offers choreography
born from a mosaic of influences.
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| Dancers
from State of Emergency Limited strike a pose from their production,
The Mission. |
The
audience is treated to Kandindo music and reggae, hip-hop and scratching,
Japanese guitar music and the spoken word.
Ranging
from the theatrical to the dreamily abstract, the pieces that make
up the performance explore human relationships and convey all kinds
of emotions from joy to fury and everything in between.
The
choreographers have extensive experience from the UK and abroad
and each make their own mark in this impressive production.
To
the sound of specially created and arranged music, we are transported
from cheerful Zimbabwean beer halls to a jealousy laden love triangle;
from timeless island life to urban observations on contemporary
culture.
The
piece, 'Locks, Crops & Two Smoking Hot Combs' merges dance and spoken
word in a hilarious and edgy account of the cultural meaning of
black women's hair.
Irresistible
poet and playwright, Rommi Smith fuses entertainment and social
critique, mimicking the style and form of anthropological studies
as she guides us through the mysteries of black hair care.
The
Mission succeeds in making contemporary dance accessible to everyone
regardless of their previous exposure to this art form.
The
talent, energy and love that oozes from the stage encourages each
member of the audience to take away their own understanding of and
feeling for what takes place on the stage.
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