Preview of Broken Rhythms’ Knotted-Written by John Manson
I recently attended a rehearsal/preview showing of Broken Rhythms’ upcoming creation: Knotted. They will be performing, for one night only, at the McPherson Playhouse on April 12th at 7:30pm. This show marks a special milestone for this local company as it will be their first time performing in this space. Under the overall direction and choreography of Broken Rhythms Artistic/Executive Director Dyana Sonik-Henderson, this show also features one piece that was guest choreographed by Broken Rhythms Dancer Candace Bruce. It is an expansive and contemplative exploration of how chronic pain interrupts and ensnares dancers, and how those dancers acknowledge and move through, and with, those challenges.
Dyana uses a variety of different visual languages to tell her stories, and the dancers’ stories, of battles with chronic pain. The choreography itself oscillates between movement that is swift, percussive, and sharp, and other movement that is internal, emotive, and experimental. This contrast speaks to the ingrained idea of pushing through or beating the pain, and the alternative that exists of slowing down and listening to the body. The use of cadence and repetition in the choreography points to the exhausting process of someone having to explain their pain repeatedly to get any help.
The choreography features visual representations of pain, such as the dancers portraying layers of compounding pain. At another point the dancers represent a network of referred pain, and then later they embody throbbing or pulsating pain. Dyana and the dancers also expertly utilize various props to invoke these concepts. Knotted picks up on a common thread I’ve noticed in Broken Rhythms pieces where the props blur the lines between acting as dance partners, set decoration, and architecture. At one point the use of sweaters enveloping the dancers reminded me of the Japanese pottery technique of Kintsugi, in which broken pottery is repaired with gold. The dancers react to the sweaters, representing different layers of the chronic pain journey: sometimes protection, sometimes further injury, and sometimes the healing process. In Dyana’s words: “Peeling off the sweaters or ‘protection’ is difficult, painful, and exhausting.”
“Overall, this show is a beautiful and evocative convergence of narratives, themes, emotions, stories, choreography, and music.“
The performance qualities of the dancers themselves remind the audience that while chronic pain is a shared experience that many people go through, it is also an individualized experience. The choreography sits differently on each of the seven dancers, and they emote differently in response to the various struggles and situations in the narrative. Throughout the show, they each expertly balance telling their own stories, embodying Dyana’s concepts, and finding moments of connection, solidarity, and community.
The piece that Candace Bruce created as guest choreographer scrutinizes a culture of ignoring invisible pain. In her own words, “During my formative years, I felt that my perception of reality was constantly being challenged. The invalidation I experienced caused me to distrust my instincts, creating a disconnection between my mind and body that I am still uncovering.” Candace speaks highly of collaborating with Dyana, and their symbiotic relationship as creators is clear. Candace’s piece fits seamlessly into the rest of the show as she has deftly choreographed her six fellow dancers in striking visuals and sequences in which they encapsulate her central notion of a “journey of acknowledging and validating one’s pain.”
Overall, this show is a beautiful and evocative convergence of narratives, themes, emotions, stories, choreography, and music. One of the elements I did not see in rehearsal that I’m looking forward to seeing on stage is the work by accomplished lighting designer Emma Dickerson, whose creations are always haunting, dramatic, and inventive. The performance will also feature a selection from earlier Broken Rhythms work Seven, which will be performed by students from the Victoria Academy of Ballet.
See you there on Friday, April 12th at 7:30pm. Act quickly – get your tickets through the RMTS website
Photo by Helene Cyr
Broken Rhythms 