Thinking outside out of the box and in complete disregard of limitations, the dance collective EKKO have in their new performance, People, created a reflection of our everyday lives, feelings and senses, and also the human need to find a cohesive way of life. It’s a performance based on dynamics and the tension field between the individual and group.
As the performance begins, we encounter a troupe of 15 people dancing a forceful uniform choreography, but then, one by one, the dancers break out of the synchronised routines to perform a solo, rendering the rest of the group frozen in motion.The dancers are fighting to make head and tail of themselves in a bigger connection, and during the show they melt together in different structures and expressions, painting a kaleidoscopic picture.
“People enters our everyday lives in what we do, watch, hear, understand and wonder about,” enthuses choreographer Emma Nordanfors in a press release about the show.
Together with her two fellow choreographers Klara Elenius and Karina Dichov Lund, she is part of the collaboration EKKO. They have since 2004 produced stage projects in Denmark and abroad, focusing on contemporary themes. They often collaborate with artists from other genres and the expression in their productions is always inspired by a topical theme.
“Behind the show there’s a strong wish to visualise social structures and connections; this is among other things why it has been important to us to get as many dancers on stage as possible. We have also focused on a spread in both experience and age amongst the dancers,” said Nordanfors.
The oldest dancer in the show has danced for more than 25 years, whereas the youngest is just 19 and hasn’t finished their education yet. The dancers take the audience through patterns, routines, conflicts and dreams, trying to get wiser on why we live as we do.
The show, which is aimed at an adult audience, arose from a wish to visualise societal structure in a compressed and stylistic way. The show is a direct reflection of people and how we define ourselves as individuals and as a group. We follow the individual human’s way through the show, but at the same time the entire group as a compound whole. The stage floor is full of dancers who move between small and big groups in a mix of patterns, choices, anarchy and coincidences.
After the show on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the stage will be available for other artists. The concept is called ‘and more people’ and is free when you have bought a ticket for the show. For more information go to www.ekkoproject.net.
EKKO presents ‘People’
Dansehallerne, Pasteursvej 20, Cph V;
Starts Sat, ends Feb 5,
Performances Mon-Sat 20:00, Sat & Sun 14:00;
Tickets: over-25s 120kr, under-25s 50kr, group discounts available,
www.teaterbilleter.dk; www.dansehallerne.dk, www.ekkoproject.net
