Remachine
choreography Jefta van Dinther
creators/performers Brittanie Brown, Gyung Moo Kim, Leah Marojeviç, Manon Parent, Roger Sala Reyner, Sarah Stanley
music David Kiers with Anna von Hausswolff
lighting Jonatan Winbo • costumes Cristina Nyffeler
dramaturgy Gabriel Smeets, Maja Zimmermann
Sadler's Wells East, Stratford • 14-16.May.26 ★★★For Remachine, Berlin-based Swedish-Dutch dancer and choreographer Jefta van Dinther takes on the issue of how humans interact with an increasingly mechanised environment. It's a very big topic, but this 65-minute show is packed with dazzling moments that capture a proper sense of determination and tension, impressively performed by a cast of six dancers who also sing the gorgeous harmonies. Repetition makes the piece sometimes feel slow, and the thematic approach is a little on-the-nose. But its visceral power is thrilling.
The stage is filled with an enormous disc, with six performers sitting on the edge as it rotates. They sing about feeling restless and old, enjoying simple pleasures as they face life's challenges. And they begin to move, resisting the stage's movement, making connections with each other or seeking stability on the ever-turning floor. Lyrical songs and choreography provide imagery that echoes work, rituals and camaraderie, as well as individuality, rebellion and tenacity.
Without a standout character, each dancer creates a specific personality that feeds into their interaction. The performers must continually contend with this spinning floor, sometimes working skilfully to maintain their position and at other times letting it drag them in circles. This physicality is seriously demanding, not least in the way all of the movements are made in focussed slow motion, even in moments when the group becomes synchronised. And their vocalisations are also challenging, soaring through the haunting songs.Lighting is subtle, inventively glowing in specific spaces. In one striking sequence, the only illumination comes from under the rim of the turning disc. And the rotation is variable, speeding up or slowing down, but always inescapable. At one point, the disc briefly comes to a halt when all of the performers are standing on the stage behind it, and they are of course tempted to get back on board. Costumes are eye-catching, post-apocalyptic chic with loose-fitting textures and oversized trainers.
As we watch, ideas about how we grapple with our always-spinning world worm their way into our subconscious, evoking thoughts and feelings about what it means to be human amongst so much technology. Yes, some of the imagery is a bit obvious, and many segments continue long after the concept has been clearly conveyed. But even this resonates in a steely way, leading to a yearning closing refrain that reverberates through the room after the lights fade: "Will we fall where we fall? Will we fall?"For information, SADLER'S WELLS >
photos by Jubal Battisti • 14.May.26
