Photo of Lee “Lethal” Pham, Malgorzata Nowacka and Brendan Wyatt by Sian Richards
The only calm in this performance is in the title itself. In The Calm Before… choreographer Malgorzata Nowacka takes us on a harrowing journey into the world of the subconscious. It is a world brimming with fear and desire, revealed through a combination of urban and contemporary dance. Founding her company The Chimera Project in 1999, Nowacka is now an established figure on the Toronto dance scene. Her work, as always, is edgy and daring.
“I really don’t want to do another show” are the first words out of lead dancer Brendan Wyatt’s mouth, before we submerge into Nowacka’s dark and visceral world of the subconscious mind. Periodically throughout the show, a dancer walks out onto the stage carrying large white placards with orange lettering. The placards hold a series of fears innate to the human condition: “fear of love” “fear of death” “fear of making mistakes”. These fears form the chapters of Wyatt’s internal journey. A sparse stage holds only one hanging light which punctuates the space. Rolling oranges, winding extension chords, and flashlights help to give this strange world it’s own unique flavour.
Dressed in black, Nowacka’s ensemble of six dancers, including herself, fill the space with a strong presence. Marked by highly physical and intricate partner-work, her duets and trios are full of vigorous lifts, throws, twists and thrusts. Dancers leap into each other’s arms, clutching one another, as Nowacka explores the fear of love, among others. The couples, in a constant state of agitation, seem to try to solve the puzzles of each other’s bodies in a series of harsh, energetic, and complex duets.
At various points Wyatt searches for an exit, literally the exit to the theatre, in order to release from his crippling fears. There seems to be no way out, however, so we follow him down the rabbit hole time and time again, into a strange world where tenderness is revealed through harshness, competition through admiration and love resembles a contractual agreement.
Photo of Lee “Lethal” Pham, Malgorzata Nowacka and Brendan Wyatt by Sian RichardsAn atmospheric yet dynamic sound design by Dave “Serious” Yan heightens the emotional intensity of the show, and builds suspense in Nowacka’s tormented world of the subconscious, while Sharon Digenova’s astute lighting design highlights the intimate space of the Enwave theatre.
Nowacka demonstrates the power of combining precision and athleticism in a stunning duet by Lee “Lethal” Pham and Wyatt. For Wyatt, each movement is crafted from an emotional core, while Pham’s unique style takes urban dance to a whole new level. Supple and intricate, liquid and exact, Pham’s body undulates, his movements both crisp and subtle in a fine performance by this highly talented, self proclaimed b-boy.
At one point, the dancers hover around centre stage reluctantly, “you, go first” “no, you go ahead” they say as they urge each other into the limelight. With these theatrical interludes Nowacka pokes fun at the overbearing politeness of Canadian culture by contrasting it with a the unbridled expression of desires and illicit urges, violence and sexuality, all embedded in the dark kinetic language she creates.
In The Calm Before… Nowacka lays out a complex and heavy premise, yet never fully explains herself, keeping audiences in her strange and uneasy world, and guessing till the end.
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The Calm Before…
March 19-25, 8pm
The Chimera Project
Enwave Theatre
Harbourfront Centre
231 Queens Quay West, Toronto
For tickets call: 416 973-4000 or visit www.tickets.harbourfrontcentre.com
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