In Difference

In Difference, performed at the Riverside Theatre as part of this years Mardi Gras celebrations was a chaotic whirlwind of balance and harmony that explored the physical power of human connection, regardless of gender. Opening with two men staring intently at each other in sheer silence for ten minutes until a beat starts to breathe life and movement onto the stage in a fluid and inspiring symbiosis that looked at times like the dancers were weightless. Eventually, layers of music were added creating an unsettling musically discourse climate that worked beautifully with moments of emotive tension in the physical narrative. 

This performance took spectators on a stirring journey using intense rhythmic vignettes that pieced the story of two couples in fully charged motion across the stage. Displaying a culmination of performance art, physical theatre, ballet and poetry in movement. 

In Difference was an overtly political performance, yet understated in its simplicity in the Lennox's black box theatre. The highly skilled and energetic dancers incorporated immense wheeled scenery into the piece as a visual device.

 

And yet, amongst the frenetic energy there were moments of hypnotizing stillness; the actors using nothing but breath created images, re-living climaxes that had the whole audience collectively holding theirs and were eventually breathing as one giant entity engaged, tethered and responsive to the palpable feast set before us.

This visual melange was brought to an engaging conclusion using an audio pastiche of weighted political opinions opposing gay marriage.

 However strongly this message needed to be communicated,

 I somehow felt visually disenchanted from the beauty that had unfolded before us, as this was such a juxtaposition to the continuity of movement. My inkling was, the sound bites could have been mixed in such a way that the audios became part of the dance themselves.

In difference was playing until the 4^th March and is the creative brainchild of Craig Bary and produced by Katy Green in association with Form dance projects. And truly was a visual feast.