Photo: Jubal Battisti & Adam Munnings
Living is expensive. Heartbeats spill out of my pockets.
You’re born, you die. But between those two points lie so many damn tedious days. Thousands of repetitions.
The sun rises, it sets, 25,000 times. Your heart beats 2.5 billion times. I just spent 2,520 of mine in the big hall at Bora Bora. No idea if I’ll ever get them back?
And what about those 2,520 heartbeats the other day in the ER waiting room? And the 3,000 on the light rail out toward Ryomgaard? Living is expensive. Thousands of heartbeats flake off us, just to uncover a handful of fun and happy ones.
Dawn breaks over the diligent babies and workers.
Darkness. Light creeps in. A giant revolving stage, about 10 meters in diameter, turns endlessly with 5 dancers perched on its rim. They sing mournfully to a 16-bar loop repeating forever. It’s morning in life. Over the next eleven and a half minutes the dancers fight their way up onto the platform. Then they lie there twitching—like newborns in life, or like people jolted awake in panic because they’re late for work.
Through the piece, while singing along to techno’s endless repeats, the dancers show how we live in the grooves of a vinyl record. So we work hard. And we think: “Look how diligent and capable I am.” And everyone else thinks the same. We’re copies of each other. Individuals moving in the same direction like one huge school of fish.
Fantastic individuals, just like everyone else. Yeah, fuck, that’s pretty depressing, I think.
Night pours over us. Good night.
'Remachine' is carried by hypnotic music, the turning stage, the dancers’ repetitions. No smiles here, no funny Chaplin-like moves from Modern Times’ feeding machine. Hopelessness. Existence cynically gnawing on our bones, draining our strength.
In the end we grow old. Maybe we’re born again? That’s it.
Thanks for the experience. Principally, I still think my life is better than this. But it’s true, isn’t it? Every morning the same: “Did you sleep well?” Coffee. Work. Night pours over us. Good night.
Quick repeat summary: 'Remachine', 4 stars, original scenography, hypnotic music and singing, decent choreography, good lighting. And if you’re already depressed, keep the number for the Lifeline in your back pocket. You’ll be glad you did.
Damn! Where the hell did I put that number?
Remachine
Choreography: Jefta van Dinther
Created and performed by: Brittanie Brown, Gyung Moo Kim, Leah Marojeviç, Roger Sala Reyner, Sarah Stanley
Lighting design: Jonatan Winbo
Costume design: Cristina Nyffeler
Sound: David Kiers, including music based on works by Anna von Hausswolff
Voice coaching and musical advice: Doreen Kutzke, Johanna Peine, Manon Parent, Mette Nadja Hansen
Dramaturgy: Gabriel Smeets, Maja Zimmermann
Assistant choreographer: Tomislav Feller
Visuals: Jubal Battisti, Adam Munnings
Photo and film: Jubal Battisti, Elin Berge
Technical direction: Max Rux
Sound engineering: Marius Kirch
Leading director: Sven Neumann
Production management: Uta Engel, Romy Hansford-Gerber
Distribution: Sarah De Ganck, ART HAPPENS
Financial management: transmissions GmbH (DE), Interim kultur AB (SE)
Production: HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Jefta van Dinther
Co-production: Norrlandsoperan Umeå, Dansens Hus Stockholm, Tanzquartier Wien, Sadler's Wells London, PACT Zollverein Essen.
Ambiorn Happy, Kulturnyt.net
★★★★★★
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