If you enjoy modern dance, then you should consider going to the Lucy Guerin Inc. show at the National Arts Centre, which runs until tomorrow.
In an interview last week with Apartment613, artistic director Lucy Guerin explained that Weather, an original piece by the Australian dance troupe, is meant to represent meteorological conditions. After viewing the opening day performance on November 7, I can confirm that the show accomplished this objective.
As Canadians know all too well, weather is often comprised of predictable patterns, before transforming into seemingly chaotic behavior. A sunny day turns into a rain storm; a clear sky is erased with a fierce gust of wind and hail.
The six-person troupe (four female; two male) were able to mimic this uncertainty with a combination of highly choreographed routines, mixed with sudden outbursts of seemingly random movements and moments of humour. In certain parts of the show, meanwhile, I was thoroughly impressed by the dancers, as I was easily able to imagine such natural forces as the wind and tornadoes.
Walking out of the NAC, I told my spouse that I thought the show was very good. She replied that it was OK.
“You didn’t like it?” I asked.
“No, it’s not that,” she answered. “The show met its artistic goal of mimicking the weather.”
So what was the problem? Well, according to my partner, there is a distinction between the theme of a dance piece, and the ability of the audience to enjoy the movement of the dancers for their own sake.
“If you didn’t know that this piece was called Weather before seeing it, and then someone told you what it was called after the performance, then you would reply that the name made sense,” my spouse said.
However, in her view, at no point did she become captivated with the pure movement of the dancers.
I disagree. I thought the dancers were great, and if I had to give the show a grade, I would say the performance merited an A-. My spouse, on the other hand, would probably give a grade in the B-range. But seeing that I am the one writing this review, I would say this show is worth watching.
Lucy Guerin Inc. perform Weather at the National Arts Centre tonight and tomorrow at 8 pm. Regular tickets start at $30, while cheaper options are available for students. The show lasts approximately 65 minutes with no intermission.
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