Dunas

My mum kindly agreed to help watch Asher tonight while Terrence, Sharon, Jon and I went to watch Dunas, a collaboration between flamenco dancer María Pagés and Belgian-Moroccan contemporary choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Held at the Esplanade Theatre, it was the world premiere of the performance. And it did not disappoint! There have been few performances where I felt this moved, and the message of the dance so clear and resonant!

Dunas basically refers to the sand dunes, and in this performance the two dancers explore their heritage and the interconnection between their Spanish and Moroccan cultures, as well as the history that the two countries share.

I thought that there was excellent and a most innovative use of media in the performance. At one point, a moving image of lines being drawn was shown in the background. These lines were harmoniously in synch with the movements of María. It was only after a few moments did I realise that the lines were being drawn by Sidi Larbi, and he was doing so on piece a glass, under which a video camera was placed. And it took a few moments more before I realised it was sand that he was using to draw on the glass! Basically there was a pile of sand, and he used his fingers/hands to draw images in the sand. It was dynamic and riveting because after an image was drawn, he'd sweep the sand across the surface and draw another image. Each time, developing the story further. His drawing was also impeccable! Truly, it must be experienced to really feel the awe of the moment.

Besides media, the use of stage props was very good too. It was simple, yet marvelously effective. There were large swathes of cloth hanging from the ceiling, and these they used at times to portray the separation between them, and at times to portray the binding connections between their cultures. At the end, the cloth envelopes their bodies and showed, I thought, the image of perfectly smooth, undulating sand dunes - the title inspiration of the performance.

The exploration of the themes was also deep and comprehensive. They went through how coming from their own cultures there were boundaries to navigate in discovering a new culture, there were new elements that they were not used to, the stepping out of boundaries. There was the historical element of subjugation under Spanish rule, and then the rising of Moorish influence. Then there is the eventual intertwining and inseparability of the two cultures, that ends in the iconic image of the sand dunes, which to me signified the continuing change and evolution of the relationship between the two cultures, just like how sand dunes are not static, but always moving and changing.

And then there was the dancing! Oh, the dancing! María Pagés is absolutely riveting to watch. Her passion effuses from her and penetrates the soul! Her footwork, her technique - perfect! To me, Sidi Larbi was less exciting a dancer to watch, but I think his main contribution to this work was the use of media, and the modernising of the collaboration. Together, though, the unlikely pair create a beautiful and stirring work, worth every cent, and worth another watch. Even Jon was all praises for the dance, and that speaks volumes!