Ambitious Ideas and Lofty Achievements

A festival as packed with performances as Edinburgh inevitably brings out the worst kind of FOMO. You walk past a blur of superlatives and star-ratings on posters and wonder where these amazing shows are and why you haven’t seen them. The dance and circus presentations I experienced during the first week had their share of fascinating ideas, visual marvels, a few disappointments, and a surprise or two.

The most intriguing piece tackled Aboriginal land rights through circus acts. Australian company Na Djinang Circus’s “Of the Land on Which We Meet” evokes the ritual of acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land where performances are held. This circus trio, consisting of performers of Indigenous heritage, colonial settler ancestry, and recent migrant lineage, explore the significance of this acknowledgment. They also physically grapple with each other: rolling, flipping, stretching, lifting. A woman walks across the landscapes of other performers’ bodies, balancing on shoulders, knees, and elbows. Johnathon Brown, an Indigenous Australian, serves as the metaphorical foundation, supporting others to balance on or fly from.

The show needs more stagecraft in terms of delivery and stronger integration between dialogue and action. The performers share their uncertainties, including an incident where they acknowledged the wrong custodian. There’s much to chew on here, showing the potential for a strong, evocative piece.

Another high-concept show comes from Sacha Copland and New Zealand’s Java Dance Theatre. “Anatomy for Accountants” begins as a humorous exploration of the value of body parts. For example, the pineal gland’s synthetic replacement costs £179.50 annually for its melatonin production. Dances featured are both frantic and fun, illustrating these body parts. Copland then dives deeper into more personal and challenging subjects. Balancing comedic and serious tones is no easy feat, but this show, based on an original idea, takes that brave step.

Elsewhere, you find incredible technique paired with less captivating concepts. In “Ghost Light: Between Fall and Flight,” Maxim Laurin and Guillaume Larouche, from Québec’s Machine de Cirque, put on a stunning show using only a teeterboard. Their somersaults and aerial acrobatics keep ratcheting up in difficulty, culminating in awe-inspiring maneuvers.

They occasionally launch into whimsy inspired by theatre ghosts, a common trope in Francophone circus. Although not entirely uninspired, this part doesn’t quite match their acrobatic excellence.

For pure visual beauty, “Paradisum” by Hungarian circus dance company Recirquel stands out. The performances feature rippling muscles and slow-motion aerial feats, supplemented by wind machines and an emotive set design that plays with shadows and sparkling lights. A memorable moment comes when a backcloth drops to reveal a woman seemingly suspended in space. The slow-paced control required for these performances is impressive and visually captivating, though it sometimes verges on ponderous.

A similarly visually stunning piece is “Sleeper” by South Korean company Jajack Movement, which combines traditional Korean dance, shamanism, and contemporary choreography. A man trapped in a plastic cage adds a puzzling element to the performance. It might need explanation to fully grasp that it’s a response to the climate crisis.

The most visually striking show might be “Palingenesis” from Taiwan’s D_Antidote Production. It features three conjoined, near-naked men with rubbery, sculpted masks performing as a single, six-legged insect-like entity, moving in symmetrical patterns. It’s both creepy and captivating, like watching a human kaleidoscope.

Some festival disappointments arise from artists still finding their footing, but even experienced groups occasionally fall short. “Corazón” by Circolombia, a company known for its youth outreach in Colombia, brought a spiegeltent production with a Colombian R&B soundtrack. Unfortunately, this cabaret-style show lacked charisma, engaging crowd work, and impressive circus skills, which can all be found elsewhere in Edinburgh.

An unexpected delight came from veteran Scottish dance artist Alan Greig in “Within Reach.” Performed in intimate, informal settings like a corridor next to lockers, the 62-year-old Greig’s monologues and dance vignettes exuded warmth and wit. Quoting Bette Davis, he reminded us, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” In defying the art form’s youth-centric focus, Greig’s performance showcased the depth and confidence that only come with experience.

Source: The Guardian