605 Collective and Theatre Replacement get together to show The Sensationalists at the Cultch from May 12th to the 16th. The Sensationalists is primarily a dance show that takes “immersive theatre” to a whole new level. The show is 75 minutes long and more than half of it occurs with the audience on stage with the dancers. In fact, the immersive quality of the show was spotted well before the show, in the lobby of the Cultch, as the audience warmed up with drinks and snacks. Dancers from the show, lost in their own world with headphones on, traversed the mingling crowd, sometimes getting too close for comfort, and danced in a quiet trance. When a few of the dancers stacked themselves up like Tetris blocks in the lobby, it effectively deepened everybody’s curiosity for what was to come in the show.
As the audience was finally let into the theatre, after a moment of confusion it became clear that the audience was to be situated on stage. The dancers felt out the audience by roaming through them and dancing their way around them. The dance was contemporary and free-form. Two dancers kicked off the show; one whispered words into the other’s ear incrementally, while the other voiced her words out loud, eventually forming a strange abstract sentence. Other dancers also took turns voicing monologues that were equally abstract. The monologues mostly described a feeling or a sensation. The dancers used each other’s bodies as props, walking over each other and creating bridges with their bodies for other dancers to walk on. Sometimes there were piles of bodies. One bit I particularly remember is when the dancers held up a female dancer high up on the wall, solely with their hands. The dancers below left one by one until only one pair of hands was holding the dancer on the wall up. The other dancers then ushered audience members to join together and support the dancer on the wall, until she bent backwards to let them carry her fall. It was quite amazing to see the audience participate and add constructively to the show without messing up.
Dancers would regularly lean on the audience members for support as they performed acrobatic moves around the stage. Around the midpoint of the show, the entire audience formed a circle around the stage and was urged to circulate in a large ring. Some trust exercises were also on display. Audience members were wordlessly picked and lined up. One by one they had to trust a dancer enough to free-fall into his arms. And they did! It worked fascinatingly well. I was impressed with the audience members’ genuine willingness to be such an integral part of physically crucial acts. Even more wonderful was the dancers’ ability to wordlessly convince the audience to participate in these acts. Finally, in the last twenty minutes or so, the dancers led the audience members to their seats, which were all equipped with a set of headphones ready to go with music.
The true dancing occurred during this period. Here you got to see the dancing prowess of the dancers. The choreography had a contemporary base and went well with the soothing, but danceable, music. The dancers were beautifully in sync. Their moves explored the limitations of the human body as they stretched and spun around the stage. I enjoyed this part of the show the most. Through the headphones you heard the music more strongly and the experience was intensified. The acrobatics continued in this part as the dancers danced off of each other’s bodies, climbing over each other and lifting each other up.
It is difficult to pin down the exact intentions of the makers of the show. Drawing from the title and the nature of the floating dialogue, the show appears to be about sensations and the human ability to describe them accurately with language and dance. The show demonstrates what it feels like to really be in the moment and feel it absolutely. It recreates consciousness and highlights the benefits of this consciousness. There is a part towards the end where as one dancer performs a solo dance another is at the mic, listing very specific feelings, like for example: “hearing an accent”. What ends up happening is that you suspend all thought and just absorb the moment. It is the only way that you can stay caught up with all the bits of chaos being hurled at you. Through the initial immersive part of the show, the dancers allow the audience to feel what it is like to be watched. At this point the audience becomes extra aware of what they hear and how they move. Then as audience members get integrated into the acts they get to experience their “being in the moment” pay off as they help construct these contortions and physical acrobatics. Finally as the audience is led back into their traditional roles as watchers in their seats, they get to truly assess the difference between being a performer and being an audience member.
The Sensationalists is a very brave show. It truly steps out of the box of regular theatre, creating more of an experience rather than a show. The first part, where the audience gets immersed in the show, gets a little tedious as it takes up a lot of time. As the acrobatics intensify the show becomes more enjoyable. The dancing at the end takes the cake as the dancers’ talents come to the forefront. They are extremely talented and their movements are pure innovative poetry. The choreography is mind-bogglingly creative and emphasises the body’s ability to be receptive and open to feelings. The costumes and set are minimal. The show is all performance.
The dancers really know each other and have put in a lot of effort to make sure the acrobatics and dancing are safe. It is quite wondrous how in tune with each other’s bodies they are. At times it feels like they are improvising but how on earth could all this chaos be controlled? Then again, it probably can. That is what professionals can do. A lot of work has gone into The Sensationalists to make it look organic and natural, quite like the no-make up make-up look. This set of dancers has brought a heroic brand of theatre to life. If you were looking for an evening of abstract thoughts and movements, The Sensationalists would be the perfect outing. And remember to head to the balcony if you wish to observe rather than participate!
Get your tickets at http://thecultch.com/events/sensationalists/
-Prachi Kamble