Low Down

Inspired by Milan Kundera's "Unbearable Lightness of Being" this is a  beautiful work that lingers in the mind long after its over.

Review

Holdin Fast  is part of czech republic @ the fringe.  Created by Jozef Frucek and Linda Kapetanea of RootlessRoot and performed by the dancers of DOT504 this is the kind of show that Aurora Nova might have picked up a couple of years ago.  It's a "dance theatre" performance that works in any language.

Holdin Fast is described as a "dreamy ballard of sexual dependency" inspired by Milan Kundera's Novel "The Unbearable Lightness of Being".  As we file into the auditorium we are greeted with a bare stage. On one side a figure lies draped over a blackboard.  Through a gap in the rear curtain we glimpse the barelegs of the dancers fooling around back stage.  Low whispers of laughter float across the stage.  It's a nice touch and characteristic of an intelligent use of minimum props and staging. Take 2 blackboards, 2 rugs, a microphone, some chalk and glitter..  Oh and 6 extraordinary athletes.

Dreamy is about right.  We are lulled gradually into the piece, snippets of drama, dance and text choreographed to a sound track by Ivan Acher that is at times haunting, aggressive, playful, tender.  I don't go to see much dance so I don't know how this piece compares with other dancework.  As theatre it is fabulous.  Freed from the constraints of a narrative, images and metaphors arise spontaneously from the dancers interactions- the carresses of love, the push and pull of a growing relationship, the dynamics of the love triangle, the sex kitten, the suffocation of a relationship you can't escape.  There is nothing heavy or pretentious here though.  The work has a humour and a lightness of touch that doesn't take itself too seriously- except when it needs too.  There are some laugh out loud moments.

My favourite bits were the bouncing woman, the slapping competition, and the equations of love but everyone will have their own.  I also really liked the text based scenes- addressed to the audience they are an opportunity for us to connect with the performers and build some empathy.  The individual performances are all strong but the stage really comes alive in the set pieces with all 6 dancers.  There were so many moments full of grace and style, so many moments where you just think "How did they do that!?"

I had a couple of grumbles.  Some of the text could have been delivered with more clarity and I think a bit more practise with the microphone would help.  I was also annoyed that the venue let people in after the show had started.  Doesn't usually bother me but in this case it did.

This is a beautiful work that lingers in the mind long after its over.  It's poetic, funny and sexy and gets 5 stars.

Reviewed by Robin Manuell 06/08/2008

Website :

http://www.dot504.cz/