Hofesh Shechter Company
Political Mother
Sheffield Lyceum
2 October 2010
I had a powerful reminder last night why I love dance so much. In Sheffield.
If it was a play or an opera or a musical or a film I could probably tell you what it was about. But dance is capable of so much more - so much more imagery, so much more emotion, and it fuels your imagination more brightly. When it works, dance is something you feel, experience and witness as much as watch and Hofesh Shechter's Political Mother works emphatically. From the moment the curtain went up to the moment the curtain came back down again seventy minutes later - and for some time after - this monolithic slab of grittily political dance theatre had me shaking and tearful. It was awesome.
I have seen Hofesh Shechter's company before - Uprising / In Your Rooms - and seen another piece choreographed by him - The Empire's Fall by Destino On the Road - and been struck by his powerful and unique choregraphic style and vision. I speculated at the time where he could go with such distinctive and characteristic movement without repeating himself or becoming stale. Political Mother is Shechter's emphatic answer to that question.
This is some of what I saw: the Middle East, Feudal Japan, mediaeval battlefields, the Crusades, popular uprising, civil unrest, political extremism, political repression, charismatic dictators and violent demagogues, hostages, political prisoners, starvation, brutality, love, redemption, the Holocaust, Christ's struggle with the authorities, mental illness, religious fervour, religious extremism, religious oppresion, refugees, diaspora, displacement, deranged rock stars and their devoted audiences, social deprivation, political and social exclusion, military ritual, religious ritual, spiritual and demonic possession, torture, slavery ... thousands of years of history laid out and replayed in an endless loop to a pounding soundtrack so loud you could feel it, that ranged from classical to white noise to metal to distorted muezzin to easy listening.
Political Mother is a complex work - part rock concert, mostly dance theatre - it is ambitious, wide-ranging and completely wonderful, significant and important. Stunningly staged and cinematically lit through a constant haze of smoke and fog, it is performed by four guitarists, three drummers - who appear periodically using the magic of theatrical light and gauze and smoke - and ten dancers who are totally committed and absorbed in the choreogaphy and their characters - which is the only way this extraordinary show can be performed.
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He's taken his previous work to another level with Political Mother. I can't wait to see what Hofesh Shechter does next. And would love to see Political Mother again.![]()
Political Mother
Sheffield Lyceum
2 October 2010
I had a powerful reminder last night why I love dance so much. In Sheffield.
If it was a play or an opera or a musical or a film I could probably tell you what it was about. But dance is capable of so much more - so much more imagery, so much more emotion, and it fuels your imagination more brightly. When it works, dance is something you feel, experience and witness as much as watch and Hofesh Shechter's Political Mother works emphatically. From the moment the curtain went up to the moment the curtain came back down again seventy minutes later - and for some time after - this monolithic slab of grittily political dance theatre had me shaking and tearful. It was awesome.
I have seen Hofesh Shechter's company before - Uprising / In Your Rooms - and seen another piece choreographed by him - The Empire's Fall by Destino On the Road - and been struck by his powerful and unique choregraphic style and vision. I speculated at the time where he could go with such distinctive and characteristic movement without repeating himself or becoming stale. Political Mother is Shechter's emphatic answer to that question.
This is some of what I saw: the Middle East, Feudal Japan, mediaeval battlefields, the Crusades, popular uprising, civil unrest, political extremism, political repression, charismatic dictators and violent demagogues, hostages, political prisoners, starvation, brutality, love, redemption, the Holocaust, Christ's struggle with the authorities, mental illness, religious fervour, religious extremism, religious oppresion, refugees, diaspora, displacement, deranged rock stars and their devoted audiences, social deprivation, political and social exclusion, military ritual, religious ritual, spiritual and demonic possession, torture, slavery ... thousands of years of history laid out and replayed in an endless loop to a pounding soundtrack so loud you could feel it, that ranged from classical to white noise to metal to distorted muezzin to easy listening.
Political Mother is a complex work - part rock concert, mostly dance theatre - it is ambitious, wide-ranging and completely wonderful, significant and important. Stunningly staged and cinematically lit through a constant haze of smoke and fog, it is performed by four guitarists, three drummers - who appear periodically using the magic of theatrical light and gauze and smoke - and ten dancers who are totally committed and absorbed in the choreogaphy and their characters - which is the only way this extraordinary show can be performed.
He's taken his previous work to another level with Political Mother. I can't wait to see what Hofesh Shechter does next. And would love to see Political Mother again.
