refashioning myth

philipa rothfield on weave movement theatre’s capsule

Weave Movement Theatre, Capsule

CAPSULE ENGAGES THE NOTION OF FLIGHT AT MANY LEVELS—FROM ITS MOST LITERAL INCARNATION OF AEROPLANE TRAVEL, TO THE ANALOGUE OF THE JOURNEY, THROUGH TO THE MYTHICAL FIGURE OF ICARUS.

Each of these incarnations signifies a certain vulnerability related to Icarus’ meltdown. The variety of dancers who make up the mixed ability Weave Movement Theatre embody our mortality by opening up our sense of who we might be. If dancing bodies tend to reinforce norms of beauty and facility, Janice Florence’s choreography engages a wider palette of human capacity. The result is a greater variety in the timbre of movement. What is it to watch action which must discover itself in the doing, rather than presuppose control? Nietzsche argues that there is no doer behind the deed, simply the deed itself. Here, the deed casts light on our presumptions about the doer. Is this to fly too close to the sun? Not at all. The use of irony, humour and parody alongside the poetic made Capsule much bigger and more resilient than us all.

Weave Movement Theatre, Capsule, director Janice Florence, choreographic advisor Michelle Heaven, performers Trevor Dunn, Janice Florence, Tom Hope, Sarah Mainwaring, Kate Middleweek, Noelle Rees-Hatton, Anthony Riddell, Ariel Verona; Dancehouse, Melbourne, Sept 13-15

RealTime issue #82 Dec-Jan 2007 pg. 31

© Philipa Rothfield; for permission to reproduce apply to [email protected]

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