Ultima Vez in Prague

Ultima Vez (Belgian dance group led by Wim Vandekeybus) had one of their three performances in Prague last night. Hosted in the Archa Theatre (www.archatheatre.cz), this was their sixth (!) visit to Prague.

Specific dance language of Wim Vandekeybus'; unsettling each moment, bringing speed and change; intense physicality of each movement; harshness for the onlooker, physical endurance for the dancer...

The performance is called 'Spiegel' (Mirror); more than a mirror it reminded me of a methaphor of climbing to a 'Chair' which was also hanging above the dancers in the air upside down which they struggled to reach and sit on; while other dancers were changing their suits and aiming for... what?

Physicality, running around fast in circles. (One of typical Vanderkeybus' movements?) Each of the dancers struggling for something..; running somewhere.., searching for something or somebody (placement; position); getting positioned (the chair was later replaced by many hooks hanging in the air). Attempts at destruction and escape (the opening scene - a girl lying on the floor, sleeping..., a guy coming stumping on the ground nearing her and almost stumping on her; she making a single movement each time, to avoid being harmed).

It also seemed about trying to overcome others, a constant struggle and fight with the surrounding others; not much peace, purposely unsettling, doubting any possible nice movement or harmony, it was violent, unfriendly.

Moments of unison ('men' scene where the dancers in suits dance in unison - reminded me of DV8's 'Enter Achilles'; 'all dancers' scene where everyone dances to as if heart-beating-sound to aim for something in common... even though it cannot be found and the fight for difference must go on..).

It was very unbounding to see this freedom of movement. An open pool of possibilities of movement; though not so attractive to an eye that is not accustomed to that, but so natural and humane to do.

Usage of contact improvisation during choreography creation; I feel a lot of freedom to the dance vocabulary. Movements are not 'perfect' however very physical, mirroring how each dancer (person) moves. Questioning dance capabilities; what are the possible ambitions within movement.

...In Prague, Ultima Vez already showed: Mountains Made of Barking (1995); What the Body Does Not Remember (1997); In Spite of Wishing and Wanting (2000); Scratching the Inner Fields (2002); and Blush (2003).