Dance ambassador Mira
Huge waves of energy
"Hold Your Horses" by De Dansers at Theater Strahl
Mira Hülsmann is 14 years old and, on behalf of Offensive Tanz, attended the performance ‘Hold Your Horses’ at Theater Strahl. She wrote down her impressions for our blog.
An empty stage, slowly filling spectator ranks, pleasantly warm air in the face of the icy cold, which covers every puddle outside with ice crystals. Silent voices fill the large room, loaded with joyful expectation. And suddenly it starts. Without a long preface, a table is carried into the middle of the illuminated stage, dancers and singers take their seats and with the power of a comet rushing towards the earth, the play captivates the audience from the first second. Huge waves of energy flood the theatre, wild and breathless, but never paused even for a moment. The dancers move in tune, sometimes independently, then synchronously again, like the colorful rings of a kaleidoscope.
And all of a sudden, all the attention is on just one person, as if they've suddenly turned into something they've never seen before. The others want them, reach for their hair, the arms and hang obtrusively on each of their movements. Then the mood changes as if the wind were spinning, and in unpredictable vehemence suddenly another person is at the center of attention. The dancers move casually, jump barefoot over the black stage floor and lay down such skilful combinations of jumps, movements and team constellations that the spectators can do nothing more than follow each of the daring steps with their eyes torn open in amazement.
It doesn't look like every move is predetermined at all. Nothing seems stiff and trained, but simply beautiful, wildly danced, freely conveyed, soft and almost playful. But there is also this incredible precision, which makes it almost impossible that every foot and every finger is not exactly where it has to be. How else can such amazing choreographies be possible? The dancers seem to have this crazy trust in each other, they literally throw themselves in the other's arms without even looking, jumping in the sure faith of being caught by someone, even if that someone was busy with completely different things seconds before. And over all this wild, wonderful dance lies … music.
The singer is also on stage, sometimes even dancing. His voice and the tones of his guitar sides vibrate in as exciting a way through the tension-charged air as the movements of the dancers.
The music merges with the dance. She's a part of him.
Every now and then the general attention turns only to the singer, then it is he who is clasped and held like something that would have been dangerous to let go. His rough voice lays over dance steps and acrobatic movements, rushes through the room and occasionally takes on a tremendous volume, which pushes the bittersweet melody into all ears. And still everything seems so casual and yet so controlled. There are moments when energy seems to overwhelm space. As if struck by lightning, the performers then rush into the air as if they could no longer hold the pulsating life in them and everyone begins to run. The energy becomes almost tangible. Each step seems to be intended only to repel, not to set off. No way to get there, just on.
‘…All that water down the drain… All that fire up in flames…’ The lines of the tailor-made music are one with the dance and the shattering courage, which is shown here, dares to go further and further. Now one of the dancers climbs up on stacked tables, dances further up as if it were nothing and then falls down as if she had acquired the conviction of being able to fly. And there is always someone who catches the other. Climbing and falling. To be caught. Face the danger with serenity and thus cope with it.
Protecting and being protected, the dancers can be drawn to each other again and again, disregarding the rewill of the other. Violence and tenderness combine in this acrobatic dance and an unbroken trust carries each of the movements. At some point it is no longer clear who jumps and gets caught, and who in turn holds the other. Everything goes so fast, it seems impossible. And yet the performers manage to realize this unique mixture of flying and dancing.
