Brighton Festival Part 3: Hofesh Shechter
Words by Elizabeth Simner
‘My name is Hofesh Schecter, and I am your choreographer- this is Phillip Hulford, and he is my dancer’ the voice declares from the speakers. We are carried instantly into Schecter’s dark world where dancers tell stories of misery, breakdown, despair- and strength.
You might recognise Hofesh Schecter’s work without realising- as well as winning critical acclaim across the board he is the man behind the ‘Maxxie’s Dance’ sequence on Channel 4’s Skins, one of the most watched items on YouTube- and tonight he solidified his standing at the helm of contemporary dance.
We see a couple breaking up. Interplaying with space, Hulford’s tribal movements are desperate cries for attention, all but ignored by the balletic poise of his female counterpart. We see Schecter alone on stage in a loose suit, arms jerking at odd angles, a man in pain. The music is disturbing- screams, disconnected white noise and what sounds like retching is repeated.
‘The Art of Not Looking Back’ is an all female ensemble, a welcome move in light of recent criticisms about masculine glorification within dance, after Sadlers Wells made all male commissions for next season.
We watch as six women standing in stasis side by side merge into a throbbing twitching group that flits like minnows across the stage- one dancer breaks away in a fit of fury, lured back into the centre of the clan with subtle spins and taps.
By the end of the show the sharp violence of the earlier dances is put to bed, as the first chords of an Urdu track ring out. The six women and Schecter all dance together- strong and clean arm movements that match swing in harmony. After, the applause rains down on the beaming Shecter as he gestures in thanks- to his dancers beside him, to the stage behind, and to the audience- a man with every reason to be facing forward.
Posted Mon, May 18, 2009