On Saturday night, Resolution! 2011 continued with Toby Fizgibbons & Matthew Robinson’s Some Other Future, Sarah Levinsky’s Birds and Indeed Dance Company’s Stickler. The audience was a friendly one, with wild applause and congratulatory cheers erupting after each performance.
The evening started with Some Other Future, a dark piece which mulled over the idea of two boys trapped behind the iron curtain, dreaming. Props used throughout included a trunk, a toy boat, piles of old shoes and a radio. Each item gave dancer/choreographers Fizgibbons and Robinson a tangent on which to travel. The movement was clearly sculptured with a fine eye, but too many ideas filled this 18 minute duet. With refinement these two gents could have an intriguing piece on their hands.
Birds, the colloquialism for a group of girls, not the animals, was a humorous observation on the excessive, disposable, ugly side of society. A mass of plastic carrier bags lined the back of the stage like sand bags on the banks of a swelling river and four girls partied their way on to the stage in a drunken state. Sarah Levinsky really knows how to make a statement with props, musical mixes and expressive performers but the dance content was minimal – more prolonged improvisation than choreography.
In complete contrast, Stickler was full of dance. Constructed phrases, floor patterns and motifs refreshingly filled the stage. The presence of a live string quartet heightened the quality of this piece, creating a performance to remember. Indeed Dance Company moved in tight unison, expanded into duets and contracted into melancholy solos. The formal attire donned by both dancer and musicians added a sense of occasion to this well choreographed quartet.
By Libby Costello
Image: Indeed Dance Company
Follow our coverage on Resolution!. The festival continues until the 18th of February at The Place. Tickets £6 in advance, £13 on the door.
