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A powerful work presented by Lucy Guerin Inc: SPLIT hypnotizes with pulsing drum sound by Scanner and fast paced body movement performed by Lilain Steiner and Ashley McLellan. The dancers, one clothed and one naked dance in perfect sync with one another, pulled along by the fast paced music. It is astonishing and mesmerizing to watch the complicated movement of the dancers as they mirror each other in perfect symmetry.

Initially the dancers seem to be independent of each other even though they replicate the same movement. As the space they occupy shrinks the dancers begin to interactcreating tension in the piece. The tension mounts as the dancers are forced into tighter and tighter confines. Within a frame of 60 minutes Guerin manipulates time and space giving structure to the overall effect. Guerin plays with this structural dynamic in SPLIT by having one dancer clothed and one naked. The interplay between these two contrasts enhances the impact of the story. The toned naked body against the soft blue fabric of the dressed dancer heightens tension and momentum.

The story of SPLIT as interpreted by the choreographer, Guerin, states, “The space closes down to quite a dramatic degree. It’s this idea of resources on the planet and just of the land that we’ll have if sea levels keep rising.” The beauty inherent in SPLIT is it offers other “stories” that the viewer can explore. There is an intimacy within the edginess of SPLIT that fuels one’s imagination.

Kudos to Lilian Steiner and Ashley McLellan.

© 2019 Nancie Ottem