Sunday, February 23, 2014

NEW MOVEMENTS: REBECCA REILLY at Dancehouse, Dublin. 17th January 2014

Choreography Rebecca Reilly
Performers Trevor Furlong, Leoba Petrie, Tonnta Choir, Katherine O' Malley, Philip Connaughton and Fergus Byrne 

Although still a work in progress, this was a spectacular showing of an intense melange of sound design (Trevor Furlong), the cello (Leoba Petrie) and the voice by the members of the Tonnta Choir. Unfortunately the dance did not amount to much. Admittedly, in the context of such talent the choreographer might have felt it'll do but really, isn't a research bursary about raising the bar and living up to the challenge?

I suspect the problem may stem from the multiplication of roles that a choreographer is expected to fulfil these days. Apart from creating the dance narrative itself, choreographers are stage and production designers, accountants and producers, and whatever else that falls their way. I don't pretend to have an answer but I feel that a broader involvement of drama and theatre talent in dance, along the lines of creative collaborations already established with musicians, filmmakers and the like, might not be a bad idea.

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