Blind
Date by New York’s Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company
left the audience wanting more, despite being bombarded with confronting,
in-your-face video images, texts and dance that covered everything from
religion and war to patriotism and power. It was all pulled together
with wit, wisdom and inspired direction from Jones, the veteran master
of political dance theatre.
Jones opened (and closed) the show by strolling casually with a cigarette,
saying that he “will give up”. This act of both addiction
and rebellion set the scene for the action that followed, as the dance-theatre
piece rolled out real and metaphoric examples of falling in line and
following the leader. Games such as the trust exercise, where someone
calls out “Me!” and falls while the others have to run to
catch him, provided examples of how trust and patriotism can be built.
Military boot camp-style drills also illustrated the bonding that builds
collective goals through shared physical training.
The military theme included the telling of soldiers' stories, for example,
that of Richard, the Sitting Duck, a poor man who advertises for a hamburger
chain wearing a duck uniform with a large duck head, only to be lured
into serving the United States army in a different capacity (and uniform).
Duck images were a recurring motif of the piece and it was heartbreaking
when a blood-soaked duck cut-out was wheeled across the stage as a final
image to represent Richard.
Another memorable scene had the dancers in an energetic reel while
Jones sang an old sea shanty which was a mother’s lament over
how her son had returned from the war with both legs blown off by a
cannon. The song embodied the age-old links between man and war, and
how ironic it was that we could dance to a tune and ignore its message.
The song’s lyrics and a myriad of other scenes were projected
on multiple video screens, including texts in various languages, faces,
duck cartoons and pure colour frames that were all layered together
to create a multi-sensory experience.
The extraordinarily athletic dancers made every moment count, as they
leapt, rolled, sang and marched to the beat of this powerful, image-laden
dance-theatre production. The dancing went from pure contemporary with
extended lines and graceful transitions to hip-hop and military-style
callisthenics. Rhythmic drumming energised the performers; dancer-musician
Akim "Funk" Buddha contributed throat singing, vocals and
percussion, as well as a reminder that we live in a global world.
It was a night of powerful, challenging dance theatre that truly reflected
on the dilemmas of the contemporary world from an intensely human perspective.
The onslaught of imagery, combined with the live music and dance on
stage, made the work not only engrossing but also, in a sense, claustrophobic
– there was no escape or reprieve. The audience became enmeshed
in the work and joined the struggle on stage as citizens of the world
that were experiencing the same post-September 11 traumas as the dancers
on stage. This level of engagement resulted in a shared grief for the
state of the world, and a shared responsibility. It was a rare, compelling
theatrical force.
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"It was a night of powerful, challenging dance theatre that truly
reflected on the dilemmas of the contemporary world from an intensely
human perspective."
Credits
Choreography and Direction: Bill T. Jones
Original Text: Bill T. Jones and The Company
Dancers: Bill T. Jones, Andrea Smith, Asli Bulbul,
Leah Cox, Maija Garcia, Shaneeka Harrell, Shayla-Vie Jenkins, Wen-Chung
Lin, Erik Montes, Charles Scott, Donald C. Shorter, Jr. and Stuart Singer.
Original Music and Arrangements: Daniel Bernard Roumain
Throat Singing, Vocals and Percussion: Akim “Funk” Buddha
Video Design: Peter Nigrini
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