Modern Dance Reviews

Dansity: Don’t Worry, We’re Happy

Choreography: Eva Villanueva, Pieter de Ruiter
Dance: Brit Rodemund, Henrik Kaalund
Composition by Harry de Wit, music by Erik Woltmeijer and Jacob Lekkerkerker
St. Elisabeth-Kirche Berlin, April/May 2010

The dance theater piece was about escalating conflicts and fierce fights in a love-hate relationship. It took place in the terrific environment of the St. Elisabeth-Church, destroyed in the war and re-built as a platform for theater and dance. The piece was developed specifically for this place, included life and recorded music played together on organs, keyboards and simple acoustic instruments, and involved the musicians in life actions on stage.

Pieter de Ruiter did not want me to take photos first because he was afraid that my walking around would interfere with movements of the musicians who were entering and leaving the stage in a way framed as part of the performance. He agreed after I assured him that I would remain seated.

Image:  Brit Rodemund and Henrik Kaalund in Dansity's piece by Eva Villanueva, Pieter de Ruiter, 2010

Image:  Brit Rodemund and Henrik Kaalund in Dansity's piece by Eva Villanueva, Pieter de Ruiter, 2010

This is a posture from a memorable movement series in which Henrik Kaalund held Brit Rodemund's feet while she crawled, climbed and dangled on and over his body. See below.

Image:  Brit Rodemund and Henrik Kaalund in Dansity's piece by Eva Villanueva, Pieter de Ruiter, 2010

Image:  Brit Rodemund and Henrik Kaalund in Dansity's piece by Eva Villanueva, Pieter de Ruiter, 2010

Image:  Brit Rodemund and Henrik Kaalund in Dansity's piece by Eva Villanueva, Pieter de Ruiter, 2010

Image:  Brit Rodemund and Henrik Kaalund in Dansity's piece by Eva Villanueva, Pieter de Ruiter, 2010

Image:  Brit Rodemund and Henrik Kaalund in Dansity's piece by Eva Villanueva, Pieter de Ruiter, 2010

Wait a moment, how come the bodies do not fall? During the performance you only notice that the fight excalates and the couple try to choke each other, but when you watch the photos you realize that the dancers played games with gravity. Her full weight resides on his thigh which is unsupported from below, his bottom levitates in the air. He has to push against her body (watch his right foot) and move his centre of gravity to the left. Try it with your boy- or girlfriend, it is more tricky than it looks!

Image:  Brit Rodemund and Henrik Kaalund in Dansity's piece by Eva Villanueva, Pieter de Ruiter, 2010

How to salvage a destroyed relationship, with scars and bruises still painful? Get a new sofa. On the photo above everything is in butter, but you had to be attentive to notice how the replacement of the sofa worked. Caught by surprise, the couple carefully examined the new situation. Then they checked whether all bad memories were gone. Then some flirt occurred. And, eventually, they achieved relief.

Petr Karlovsky