Feinstoffliches

Münchner Feuilleton, November 2016 // Author: Katja Schneider

(…) Dance swarms were once very popular. In the 2000s, one liked to experiment with movement that steered itself, kinesthetic responses and the effects when collectives organized like a swarm. Who is controlling, who is following, how do the nonverbal agreements work, how does the game of action and reaction, control and letting things run succeed? It was exciting, but sometimes also exhausting. And it was pretty much over and done with. Anna Konjetzky is now once again reviving the swarm topos from the other side. Six dancers deal with creating a community. But they only join into a swarm in phases. First they warm up, walking. Counterclockwise. The audience is sitting on platforms that are arranged into an 8-sided circle in Kammer 2. Sahra Huby, Viviana Defazio, Quindell Orton, Michele Meloni, Damiaan Veens and Jascha Viehstädt move in this octagon like people permanently doing left turns: running, jumping, hopping, walking, trotting, forwards, backwards, in an aerobic knee-high walk. They look at each other openly, waiting, not lurking. And then they do chase one another. This is one of the strongest moments in this mobile, when Quindell Orton throws herself into the path of her co-dancers, slips into their course, and forces them to swerve. Another urgent moment is created when they turn to each other in the tension after a pause – they circle and run into one another, rub past each other, grappling, grabbing, biting and getting sucked into a ball with one another. This “Wah-Wah” (the name of this piece by the city-supported choreographer; which premiered at the Kammerspiele, comes from a sound effect) sends the audience through highs and lows. Brigitta Muntendorf’s soundtrack resounds through the latter. Linda Sollacher’s space is so clean and cool (lighting: Wolfie Eibert), the audio track so text-laden. (…)

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