Words by Pranita Choudhry.
On 15 February, each piece approached multiple themes at a time. Schlusselkind created a mystical journey, whereas the Journal of 7 was a keen reminder of our present and the sins we are prone to either witnessing or experiencing on a daily basis.
The Renegade Master takes on the age old and insanely grande theme of corruption, freedom, justice, and equality. Each piece had a unique way of exploring their themes with Schlusselkind developed as a solo act with a significant use of narrative, costumes and props. Journal of 7 on the other hand created a buzz on stage with the volume of dancers, and a sense of resolve to bring out the issues faced by people in many vulnerable communities and parts of the world. The Renegade Master got the crowd moving with its brilliant use of costumes, fun vibe, movements and lighting, though approaching a very serious topic of capitalism, injustice, freedom and inequality.
SCHLUSSELKIND by Celine Celeesi
This piece is full of a sense of suspense, and the artist does a brilliant job of using costume, props, lighting and narrative to level up the mystery and get to a defined and chilling climax.
She walks down through the auditorium to the stage in a blue costume, carrying several balloons, with misty spotlights directed at her. The central theme is the experiences and realities trapped within childhood dreams, often day dreams, sometimes of a Trojan horse, flying ships, friendly shark, or even the absence of a father, represented by several balloons finally placed around the stage.
At some point appears the subconscious mind that knows it all and tries to direct us and warn us time and again not to venture towards some dark memories.
The highlight of the piece is the portrayal of this subconscious by the artist, un-inhibited, sassy, in some sense seductive, making up for the mind’s vulnerability. There is so much that needs to be addressed in terms of self-identity, trauma and a search for meaning, yet the mind feels bombarded with empty talks of self-care, self-love and mindfulness.
The climax is then revealed when despite several warnings by the subconscious, our mind is addicted to something dangerous, in accessing that memory which harms us most, and once we do the trauma is revealed at the end with one dialogue – ‘hello papa’. The piece is hugely successful in creating a dreamy sequence.
Journal of 7 by Olu Alatise
This piece looks at taboos in African culture specifically related to the seven deadly sins: Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride, and explores these sins through movement.
Using hip-hop and urban dance, the piece is able to clearly show the transitions between each ‘sin’ using the energy, formations and coordination amongst almost 12-15 dancers.
A few of the many highlights were the portrayals of gluttony and greed. Gluttony was showcased through the excessive eating encouraged in social settings, where a little girl feels pressured by her elders and aunties for feeding her, a familiar experience in many cultural contexts. Greed on the other hand portrayed through narratives of people fighting against hungry politicians, tamed police forces and the loss of dignity experienced amongst the common people. Covid-19 is used as an example, where hunger and famine in Nigeria, and genocide in other parts of Africa were a reality. Dancers questioned “Is the government we voted for?’ And a girl walking on stage with the sign ‘fuck the government’ leaving the crowd into splits. Impressive use of lights and costumes and the volume of dancers added a huge element of drama and energy on stage. Additionally, the clarity in execution helped us follow the seven sins.
The Renegade Master by Juan Sánchez Plaza
This piece is about social injustice, climate crisis, queer struggles and celebration, and capturing the speedy far-right political take over of the world. This is brilliantly portrayed through a cluster of black coloured suits tied together and crawling and sliming across the stage. It soon rises in height and stations itself almost resembling a scare crow, in a powerful stance.
But the show of seriousness and power soon subsides and turns to humour as we suddenly hear the non sensicle, ridiculous statements from trump, gloating with ego, narcisissm and making his ever ridiculous remarks about equality and freedom. This on the other side is contrasted with a sense of community, kindness, compassion invoked through dialogues such as “imagine a world full of kindness, where our differences bring us closer and not pull us apart, where children don’t grow up with a fear of violence and rejection, and society is measured on the basis of wellbeing.”
The contrast is most apparent when dancers switch into their new costumes, bright, fuzzy, eclectic, jackets with mutli-coloured light bulbs leaving the audience hysterical. They go around the room jumping, dancing, waving the pride flags and bringing in the audience to do the same, and ended up being a brilliant interactive piece. The music selection was strong for both contrasting pieces chosen and the use of costumes and lighting hugely fitting.