Durham Fringe Festival 2024
All, Here & Now
Unearthed Dance Company
Genre: Dance, Dance and Movement Theatre
Venue: Fonteyn Ballroom @ Dunelm House, Durham
Festival: Durham Fringe Festival
Low Down
“All, Here & Now is a contemporary dance work created and performed by Unearthed Dance Company, described by Edinburgh audiences as “heartbreakingly beautiful”; join us as we navigate the fight for equality, for acceptance and for peace; with a pail of sand to guide us, we follow the company of 6 dancers, each expressing and experiencing their own story and their need to seen.”
Review
This dance and physical theatre production by Unearthed Dance Company is a mesmerizing dance performance that begins with a simple, evocative image: a bucket on stage. The bucket contains sand. A performer empties the sand slowly across the stage into a diagonal line – a definite physical gesture, a boundary and a border, a crossing point and a boundary. This initial simplicity quickly gives way to a display of precise and disciplined movement, where every gesture is executed with exacting precision, underscoring the show’s commitment to detail and control. It is an ensemble movement piece that is effective and impactful from the first moments until the last.
The performance delves deep into the human struggle, manifesting through disciplined ensemble work that is seamlessly integrated with a compelling music soundtrack. The dancers navigate small vignettes and dramatic, theatrical elements, sometimes even incorporating mime. A line of sand on the stage becomes a powerful symbol, representing boundaries and the potential for chaos when these lines are crossed. And sand can soon turn to the chaos we find in sandstorms…
Agitation and restlessness permeate the piece, reflected in both the music and the dancers’ movements. The sound of feet on sand adds a unique auditory layer, transforming into its own sound effect. This element, along with the occasional use of a smoke machine—albeit somewhat ineffectual—contributes to the overall atmosphere of tension and disruption.
The choreography effectively illustrates how quickly an orderly line can descend into chaos, a visually arresting and disturbing realization. This theme is explored through dynamic and often frenetic movements, suggesting that perhaps true stillness and resolution can only be found amid the chaos we create. However, the piece occasionally overflows with ideas, making it challenging for the audience to absorb and reflect on each moment. Introducing more moments of stillness could provide necessary pauses for the audience to digest the performance and enhance the overall impact.
The choreography is both inventive and adventurous, pushing the ensemble to their limits and bringing out the best in each performer. No single dancer outshines the others; instead, they move together as a cohesive unit, creating a poerful twelve-legged beast of physical theatre realised by these six excellent performers. This synergy is the performance’s most precious asset, with the movement diverging and converging in ways that produce a powerful, alchemical effect.
The performance evokes for me the spirit of the Aurora Nova artist collective and is reminiscent of the best works by Fabrik, particularly “Hopeless Games.” It is an exquisitely crafted piece, casting shadows and creating echoes that leave a lasting impression.
Despite its many strengths, there are areas where the show could benefit from refinement. A salready mentioned, the smoke machine’s effects are somewhat limited and this needs looking at if it going to be used on large stages, and the choreography could be tightened to ensure that the piece doesn’t overflow with too many ideas at once. Challenging the company to depart further from conventional dance could also lead to even more innovative and groundbreaking work.
In summary, “All, Here & Now” is a dynamic and thought-provoking performance that showcases the Unearthed Dance Company’s talent and creativity. It is a compelling exploration of human struggle, order, and chaos, brought to life through precise and disciplined choreography. With some fine-tuning, this already powerful piece has the potential to become even more impactful. As it is it offers a breathtaking, densely packed creation, offering a profound experience for its audience. Its images, themes and mood still echo in deeply inside me as I write this review the day after.
