Wut by cie. Toula Limnaios
What does it really mean to be angry? In Greek born, Berlin based choreographer Toula Limnaios‘ latest piece Wut, literally translated into “fury” or “rage”, her ensemble experiment with a physical language based on of anger, aggression, manipulation and power. This latest work of the productive company premiered in Berlin in the end of last month and is is being followed by a tour in Sao Paolo until the 11th December.
In Limnaios’ permanent base HALLE; a beautifully transformed old gym hall of red brick stones, six young and talented dancers are occupying the space. All with different bodily expressions and personalities – even when they reunite in small moments of symmetry – all accompanied by live music performed by composer Ralf R. Ollertz, also a co-founder of cie. Toula Limnaios.
Wut is a study of fury on the verge to hopelessness, despair, angst and fear; where one dancer goes wild with mania, someone else reacts with inward anger. The visual input is strong – besides the many-layered colourful dresses and costumes – shoes, stones or belts are being thrown all over the stage with furious forces. The dancers are working hard; their costumes slowly gets covered in sweat, their skin tone turns red when they seemingly carelessly throw themselves on the floor or resolutely pull their bare skin with their hands. While Karolyna Wyrwal gives seemingly useless orders into a microphone, Elia López follows every direction with twists and turns, uncomfortably folding every joint into a Houdini-game of humiliation. It is one of the strongest moments of the evening, a study of will, suppressed anger, power and the lack of it.
After about an hour of intense rage and physical battle, the stage is still reverbing from the dancers’ actions and steaming of their body heat during the massive applause. Afterwards we step out into the cold winter night left with slight mental, if not physical, bruises.
Wut
cie. Toula Limnaios
HALLE TANZBÜHNE BERLIN
Premiere
22 Nov – 2 Dec 2012,
4-11 Dec 2012
Festival Panorama, Sao Paolo, Brazil
