On
Monday, September 8th Tarikh and Ziarah, a sibling dance theater
troop, performed a drama titled “Metmijgaathetgoed.” The show was entirely in
Dutch, making it a tad bit difficult for the English speakers in the audience
(such as myself) to understand exactly what was occurring in the performance.
However, there were other fascinating features, such as facial and body
gestures, the use of multi-media, the involvement of the audience, and the combinations
between dance and drama aspects, that enhanced the performance and rendered it
enjoyable.
Before
describing the performance, I must present a depiction of the space. The most
striking detail of the venue was the proximity between the audience and the
performers. The benches where the crowd sat were practically on the stage, and
there were (physically) no barriers to performance. As I found out later, this
closeness greatly facilitated the artist-crowd interactions. The benches
themselves were extremely artsy, adorned with red, yellow, and grey cloth that exhibited
different letters, chopped up and mashed together in diverse ways. These
benches presented a kind of optical illusion to the eyes, and were both
pleasing to view and difficult to comprehend. A black curtain surrounded the
space, significantly contributing to a black-box feel and amplifying the
intimacy of the event. The stage was dimly lit, and was incredibly simplistic:
a wooden bench was situated in the foreground, a photograph of Tarikh hung in
the back, and props were scattered randomly on a miniature table next to the
bench. The back wall was adorned with plain white tiles, which also added to
ideas of cleanliness and simplicity. All these factors described above put me
at ease, and allowed me to feel an intimate connection with the performers
(despite me not speaking Dutch).
The
performance began with Tarikh walking on stage towards the picture of him, set to
Gregorian chant. This was a comical introduction, and the audience laughed a
great deal as Tarikh exalted himself. As the audience laughed, Tarikh glanced
back with an amused look on his face. This gaze towards the crowd of laughers
established the connection between the audience and actors, and signified that
these interactions would be important aspects of the performance. This initial
scene also set up the notion that comedy would play an integral role, and that
the audience would laugh to a great extent throughout the play. After this,
Tarikh dove into his opening monologue, whipping the audience into a hysterical
frenzy with his words. As I was not able to understand what he was saying, his
monologue did not have the same effect on me. However, it was extremely
aesthetically pleasing to watch him perform. He exhibited a powerful look, and
his eyes pierced the audience as he spoke. His facial and body features seemed
to match perfectly what he was saying, and allowed me to understand somewhat the
subject matter being discussed (sex). He moved around the stage naturally and
established a commanding stage presence, rendering it difficult to take my eyes
off him. He spoke with a clear diction, and his words seemed to roll off his
tongue, evidence that he had practiced a great deal. This amped up his
credibility as a performer, a development that was much appreciated.
After
a short while, Ziarah entered the picture sporting short jean shorts, a long
sleeve pink shirt that left her midriff exposed, and incredibly tall high
heels. Her hands on her hips, she walked with an air or authority and a touch
of sassiness, like she knew she was a big deal. She approached the photo of
Tarikh and laughed, signaling that she was not above making fun of her older
brother in some capacity. They exchanged barbs for a while, with Ziarah
matching Tarikh in her confidence and stage presence. About halfway through,
Ziarah broke into an incredibly passionate and enthralling contemporary dance. The
transition between the acting drama and the dance was seamless, and provided a remarkable
contrast to what had been occurring. She gracefully floated around stage, and
crafted a series of high octane, intensively athletic moves: leaps, jumps,
skips, flips, and the like. The stage lights dimmed as she danced, and
consequently one could see the outline of her performance on the while tiles.
This was a beautiful effect, as the power of her dance coincided with the
elegance of the purely white tiles. As she performed, Tarikh sat on the bench
off to the side, allowing Ziarah to have her moment. This was a subtle, but a
valued action, as it allowed me to focus on Ziarah and not get distracted by
Tarikh’s actions. It showed that he was a true performer, and that he
understood the principle of letting others have their moments.
Other
attention-grabbing aspects of the performance followed. Two songs with English
lyrics were played over the audio speakers; in fact, all the songs played were
in English, while all the dialogue amongst the performers, and between the
performers and the audience, was all in Dutch. This was quite the jarring
occurrence, as it may have made more sense for all of the performance to be in
Dutch. Nevertheless, I relished these opportunities, as I could understand what
the lyrics meant. Three times, Tarikh directly spoke with members of the
audience and had them answer questions. Luckily, he did not speak to me (it
would have been extremely awkward for me to explain that I didn’t speak
Dutch!). These audience interactions elicited more laughter from the crowd, and
I myself found myself amused at the brevity of the answers the embarrassed
viewers gave. Towards the end of the performance, the stage crew played a power
point presentation, showcasing the performers when they were younger and their
family. It was a touching moment, and was followed by a slow dance set to jazz
between the two siblings. While I couldn’t understand what was going on, the power
point together with the subdued dance aroused powerful emotions, and I could
feel the intensity of the moment. Tarikh suddenly moved towards the back, the
stage lit up the brightest it had all night, and then went to black. With that,
the show ended to glorious applause and standing ovations from the crowd.
While
the subject matter was not understandable due to the language barrier, I
greatly enjoyed the performance. It was clear that the siblings were incredibly
talented in their crafts, and witnessing them perform their art was a joy. The
choices they made, in terms of dancing, audience interaction, and the use of
multi-media, greatly contributed to the performance, and added an extra layer
of quality. The performance was a rousing success, and I would recommend anyone
to see them live (even if you don’t speak Dutch).
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