This is my first time seeing a modern dance performance live with my only other exposure (that I can remember) being YouTube videos. I was directed to this particular performance by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company by a friend who is knowledgeable of such things and I was also intrigued by any dance performance set to the music of Radiohead and Sigur Ros.The first segment was called "Split Sides" and started out with six people on stage rolling a die to determine the mix of the program. What costumes, what lighting cues, what music goes first, and so on. So certainly an interesting randomization feature. The music that we actually heard was very unusual and not at all what I was expecting. I thought there would be a recognizable song or two (and maybe they would be if I knew either band better), but instead it was mostly just a mix of sounds. Some of it was decent, some of it might have even been offensive. The action on stage, while occasionally timed to the audio, was not really following it in any traditional way. I've been trying to figure out how to describe the physical performance by the dance company and I'm still struggling with it. I did like and enjoy the experience of watching the performance. There was a lot going on and a lot of interesting shapes and forms and structures and things like that, but it was tough in the sense that my mind kept grasping for story or symbology or some sort of meaning to it all. I could understand that there really isn't any of that in the performance... it's more like abstract art... but I couldn't stop my mind from searching for those things. Maybe it just comes with exposure that eventually the mind calms down and just enjoys what its seeing and stops thinking about it so much.
The second segment was called "Sounddance" and was also enjoyable to watch, unfortunately the audio was a lot more painful to listen to, consisting of mostly atonal sounds that nearly caused physical pain. I'm not saying that to be critical because I expect that was the point of the audio, but this is how I found it. Again, I liked the performance and I liked what was going on, I just didn't really "get" any of it. I understand there's nothing really to get, but I kept trying... Eventually I think I did let go and enjoyed it as abstract art, which made what was happening a little more digestible, I think.
There won't be a rating for this performance as this is my first such show and I don't really feel qualified to provide a numerical rating given my limited exposure. I will say that it was fun.
