The best clowns in industry have a dark side!
UK Hofesh Shechter’s new dance double bill production “Double Murder” is ever so darker and more malevolent than most. It’s easy to see, it is simply a sarcastic reflection on the indifference to violence many people seem to have nowadays. Atmospheric, almost cinematic, it conveys a strength that transcends the stage, beautiful too. Recent interviews with many dance artists have encouraged me simply to sit back, experience, revel and admire of what I see. That is most certainly with Hofesh Shechter Company, based in London, UK and this dance piece “Double Murder”, incorporating elements of folklore, theatre, ballet and contemporary dance, this double murder brilliantly blends order and chaos in a gripping emotional journey, with an exciting vocabulary, Hofesh Shechter, one of the world’s most talked choreographers, returns with a double bill. Gone is the non-stop, pumping energy and murderous intent. There is still energy, and lots of it, but it’s now more fragile. Right from the off, dancers embrace. Moments hint at love, loss and shared experience. The big picture is conveyed superbly, but it’s the small detail that really strikes, whether done individually, or magnified through whole-ensemble unison. There are moments of physical assault and violence all in the name of entertainment. Even though it was all mimed, the intensity of the dancers emanated strongly. A captivating, hypnotic and mesmerizing production by artists who really keeps attention. The second presentation became more of a dramatic. There were such tender poignant moments in connection where the artists embraced each other with the utmost care and compassion that it was magical to witness. Dancers at the end went into audience and embraced and hugged people from the audience, which was a nice touch quite frankly. A human connection with a stranger for a brief moment, has a cathartic, somewhat spiritual moment. Normally, I would try to avoid taking part in such moments but here I really did want to participate.
“Double Murder is a thrilling exploration of the chaotic and oppressive forces present within our modern times. The performance features two distinctly contrasting works: Clowns is a sarcastic and playful nod to our ever-growing indifference to violence, while The Fix presents a tender, fragile antidote to the omnipresent forces of aggression that press on us daily. Set to Shechter’s sweepingly cinematic, percussive score, Double Murder exposes painful truths and deep emotions.”
The first half, Clowns. produced as a film and broadcast by the BBC to great acclaim, is a delightful blend of raw physicality and meticulous detail, a black, sarcastic comedy, Clowns denounces our collective insensitivity to violence. A fierce energy that emanates from the group of performers in symbiosis, yet cynical enough current vision of the world. As an antidote, The Fix brings a more tender and fragile energy to the stage. The work explores the sweetness of human relationships, marked by joy or melancholy: an appeal for compassion to mitigate the violence of everyday life exposed in the first half of the program. This part bring slower sequences that offer contemplative moments.
Hofesh Shechter is at the moment at top of the world contemporary dance and is recognizable, and for its outstanding contribution he has got Jovan Cirilov Award at Belgrade Dance Festival, in Serbia.