Choreographer: Abby Zbikowski
From New York for two nights only at Sadler’s Wells as part of Dance Umbrella, Abby Z and the New Utility present Radioactive Practice, a one-hour show and European premiere that offers a contemporary, experimental approach to dance. With seating around the stage, this piece is performed predominantly in silence, with the occasional welcome slice of modern compositional music by Matthew Peyton Dixon. The sound we mainly hear is that of body, breath, voice, and stage. Six performers wear modern sportswear, kneepads, and trainers that sometimes squeak on the floor. From the wings are occasional American voices of encouragement from fellow dancers: Yes! Alright! Okay!
In what feels like a physical manifestation of jazz improvisation on speed, the six dancers: Indya Childs, Ismael Konney, Fiona Lundie, Mya McClennan, Jennifer Meckley and Benjamin Roach push themselves physically and mentally through a syncopated routine. Physical, fast, and strenuous, dancers bounce on their backs and cycle through the air. In this urban panoply of movement and rhythm, arms and legs move like pistons or extensions of machinery. Erratic and intermittent, the ensemble flings themselves across the stage as sweat flies and bodies pant. Each is engaged in silent combat, and their strength, balance, stamina, and awareness of each other are impressive. Incorporating the work of Senegalese dance artist Momar Ndiaye as dramaturge, it sets out to “interrogate the complexities of modern living.”
Choreographer Abby Zbikowski, who teaches at Ohio State University, offers audiences an investigation into the human body, its experience, energy, and endurance, as well as the interconnectivity of bodies working together. Several dancers have backgrounds in sport, including synchronised swimming. And recognisable movements can be identified in the piece. Abstracted from sports, music, and work, we see elements of Capoeira, voguing, basketball, work-outs, acrobatics, martial arts, contemporary African forms, football and tap. Taken from their original context and reintroduced into this choreographed, conceptual piece, audiences witness a kind of frenetic, multi-dimensional, dance sampling.
“Our bodies are breaking down every day”, explains Abby Z afterwards in the Q&A. And Radioactive Practice functions on a metaphorical level, too. In life and work, our bodies are pushed daily through a series of repetitive movements until they become tired and start to degrade. The repetitive nature of the piece might be challenging to a general audience, as much as an endurance test as for the dancers. The piece has many positive attributes: stripped back, pure, and minimal, it is technically impressive. And while there is great artistry and skill in evidence, there seems to be a ration on emotion or narrative. One long plateau of movement with no obvious peaks or quiet times, this is one for dance aficionados.
Reviewed on 18 October 2024
Dance Umbrella Festival runs at various venues and online until 31 October 2024
