I wasn’t dazzled, but I was absolutely never bored. Everybody Knows held me, so that’s a win. In her solo show, Rita Sheena dances to the recorded songs of Leonard Cohen, as they’re performed by the Swedish duo First Aid Kit. The implicit narrative moves from struggle and loneliness towards redemption. There’s nothing particularly original about Sheena’s choreography: like a lot of interpretative dance, it leans into swirls and spins as well as more allusive gestural movement. Sometimes, Sheena speaks over the sung text, emphasizing selected lyrics. But her tone carries little emotional weight; it’s as if her attitude is saying, “Aren’t we clever for loving these great lines?” But her dancing is emotionally grounded: its precision and focus demand and hold attention. And the production is slickly sensual. Along with pleasingly subtle colour variations, the lighting includes a period of almost total darkness. And Sheena keeps switching up her costumes, which adds another level of sensual engagement. Because she invites us into the visceral flow, time glides by.
At the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Remaining performances at Ballet BC: September 7, 12:00 pm; September 8, 7:00 pm; September 9, 10:30 pm.; September 11, 5:15 pm; September 12, 8:45 pm; September 14, 1:45 pm; September 15, 7:00 pm. Tickets
(Photo of Rita Sheena by Kristine Cofsky)
I think you were a bit too generous. I was quite bored. I didn’t find anything original in her dancing, and she is definitely not a dancer!