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Elements
is a performance that does what the name implies. Bringing earth,
wind, fire and water onto the stage and into the choreography, it
takes the audience on a journey through time and space. Slipping
in and out of genres it moves from traditional African dance to
modern day derivatives thereof such as street dance and Jamaican
dancehall, and then back again.
The
eleven performers are not just dancers but actors, musicians, and
singers. Lighting, sound, costumes, props, and film sequences all
interact with the dancers to tell a captivating story.
Elements
is a collaboration between "H" Patten of UK based Koromanti
Arts, and F. Nii-Yartey, artistic director of Ghanaian dance company
Noyam. Created with the intention to push the perceived boundaries
of African and Caribbean dance, this piece touches our intellects
as well as our emotions.
The
performance is very theatrical and the dancers - at times unruly
individuals, at times moving and breathing as one - convey a whole
spectrum of emotion from joy to sadness. They marry strength and
technique, energy and direction in a way that brings more life to
the piece than what can be captured on a small stage.
As
the dancers face the members of the audience but look through and
beyond us, each and every one of us silently imagine what it is
that they see. At that moment, as the audience is put to work, the
true magic of live performance is achieved.
Reviewed by Jenny
Enarsson
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