When did you last go to a dance club? Likely more recently than this reviewer which is not so long as to have forgotten these blue fluorescent lights that show everything white on your person, to remember the best dancers being on the floor first while lesser mortals stood like stooges till they felt brave enough blend in with the wriggling crowd and to be unsure who you are or who you’re with under the flashing darkness. This is what experiencing choreographer Fleur Darkin’s Disgo felt like.
Dressed in, what became under the lights, luminous white socks, the bemused audience stepped tentatively on stage. Out of the dark, the five dancers moved and mingled among these acquiescents.
Firmly and gently but never intrusively, they reached and wrapped, touched and stroked, leaned and led, using non-stop energy. The not entirely passive voyeurs stood amazed at the sensual performance of fabulous flexibility, agility and co-ordination going on at their feet.
The planning of this is simply mind blowing because of the unpredictability of every different audience as it forms different shapes (“the audience’s inadvertent choreography” Fleur Darkin) that these intimate strangers dexterously dance themselves through, breaking barriers as they go.
The principal dancers were joined by eleven other local dancers who’d been in the crowd in mufti for surprise effect. People were amazingly compliant and unfazed as they were steered in lines and corralled over the stage space.
This was an unusual and highly compelling and liberating piece of dance theatre that made for many smiling faces after their surprising, tactile and unique experience. No bad thing in these austere times and on a cold November night to boot. Definitely promenade with punch!
Disgo was part of Traverse Autumn Festival and ran from 18th to 19th November