The Art of Stealing
The Art of Stealing, playing at the Firehall Arts Centre until May 31, is a new dance creation from Response Dance and the creative mind of Artistic Director Amber Funk Barton. It is a mesmerizing work that integrates innovative dance with multimedia seamlessly. In Barton’s own words; “My fascination with themes of survival and transformation allowed my imagination to create my version of a post-apocalyptic world that became a vessel to explore the literal and conceptual theme of stealing.”
I think in fact she, along with fellow dancers Heather Laura Gray, Maiko Miyauchi, Manuel Sorge, Kevin Tookey and Lexi Vajda have gone one step further. The show opens with a slow deconstruction of the space into which the dancers dissolve, creating a sense of aloneness and stillness. It is a fascinating exploration of a dystopic society and what happens to the disparate survivors. It follows them as they redefine themselves when found alone in such an environment, how they form an allegiance and thrive for a time before succumbing to the elements.
The seating in the Firehall Theatre has been transformed for this work. Stripped bare with the seating risers angled on both sides, the dancers are in the alley, they envelope the space, the walls, and the typically unseen backstage doorways and exits. Inside of this the dancers fully realize the world they were creating. I was reminded of the pictures of the broken buildings of Homs, Syria. As an audience member I felt as a voyeur tucked in a hollow of a shelled out building, watching survivors in the rubble below trying to eke out an existence.
Barton’s choreography is controlled, powerful, understated and is supported brilliantly by Mike Inwoods' lighting and Marc Stewart's sound design. Inwood shapes the piece well, utilizing flashlights, controlled by the dancers, and darkness as important elements. Stewart's soundscape is intricate and relies on silence, breath, spoken words, as much as environmental industrial music. Throughout the piece the dancers, lights, and sound are woven into one entity impeccably. Projections are also an important element to this piece, which was used well to propel the story forward without being heavy handed. In an unusual collaboration the costumes were designed and constructed by the Lab at LuLuLemon. On a palette of black with hints of red the costumes were detailed, functional, and served piece well.
When I left the theatre I walked out to the corner of Hastings and Gore and I had a good look around me. Here I was, surrounded by an entire community of people managing and existing within their own society. They barter and steal and have sex and care for each other on these streets. A man, completely out of his mind high on something, danced, having no control of his body, limbs flailing, he spun in circles grunting ...
I had just watched those dancers making similar moves and I thought to myself: "Wow, she nailed it!" I felt as if the world Burton created, to some extent, sadly, already exists.