I have been reviewing for more than 10 years now, and I have to say I have never seen anything quite like this before. It is unique. And that in itself is accolade enough. However, what made it unique? Why was this piece so different from anything I have previously seen? Gravity Fatigue is a piece of dance-cum-clothing-design-show from the mind of Hussein Chalayan.
Chalayan is a fashion designer and visual artist, so not particularly 'at home' on a stage in the conventional way, which is perhaps the first reason that it is unique. Chalayan's relationship with 'stage' differs considerably from conventional directors, even avant-garde choreographers. He is known for innovative and minimalist designs and his use of technology, and these elements are extremely strong in this one hour piece, filmed on the Sadler's Wells's Theatre stage in 2015. This is a world where theatre and clothing design co-exist and feed off and from each other.
The entire piece was a series of short vignettes, seemingly unconnected, other than their use of material which was used variously to either enhance, distort, manipulate, create, design, build or destroy. The 'pictures' made with body and material were utterly fascinating. Combine this with a stark stage design with a floor that changed its elasticity and flexibility several times especially in one sequence where the dancers were jumping up and down, sometimes trampoline-like and others on a hard solid surface, often within a hare's breadth of each other. Another time the floor was a children's playground of plastic balls, and then a swimming pool. Highly creative.
The whole is clever and bizarre, with bold choices which work excellently. I did wonder though whether or not the meaning / focus / emphasis might change if the dancers were really to be naked instead of wearing body skins or skin-coloured leotards?
I'm not entirely certain this was a ballet, or even a dance. It was a piece of theatrical presentation totally unclassifiable, but spellbinding and utter theatrical magic nevertheless. Lighting and sound helped enormously to create the correct 'feel' to the show, but ultimately it was the vision of Chalayan that made this a half-way house between dance and fashion show. Some of the vignettes would not really have seemed out of place at one of the world's Fashion Weeks, however others had definitely a much more guttural feel to them, with a short narrative and theatrical presentation or meaning which could only have been emphasised and expressed by theatre.
Words are not able to describe this show adequately. If you get the chance - just go and see it!
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 31/5/20
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