The piece To the pain that lingers presents a 70 minutes of emotional turbulence where the complexity of pain is largely inspected. Six dancers, two men and four women interact with each other limning emotional, vulnerable reactions with agile but grounded bodies. – schrit_tmacher justDANCE! in Heerlen

nightreview by Veronica Posth

Pain. The word induces to think about something that obstructs, a barrier that limits or a hurdle that creates impediment. How if the pain would be seen through different eyes? How if something that has always been depicted as an obstacle, would rather become a strength, a driving force and a powerful condition?

The pain, physical and emotional, is connected to fear and vulnerability therefore to a mined, unsure condition where the comfort zone is substantially missing and the lack of safeness is taking over.

The piece To the pain that lingers presents a 70 minutes of emotional turbulence where the complexity of pain is largely inspected. Six dancers, two men and four women interact with each other limning emotional, vulnerable reactions with agile but grounded bodies.

At first they all seem lost, dejected and discouraged staring at the spectators. With prolonged inhales they suddenly breath out as they would rest for one moment from their habitual apnea. One of them fell on the floor and the others follow as a way out from a contagious and unsafe dimension.

Two dancers, a man and a woman, seat close to each other showing a big, prologued unnatural smile looking at the audience. Suddenly they start showing unease movements as pathological behaviours but neither one nor the other seem to be interested to intervene.

In different moments and with diverse motions, the other dancers enter the stage moving clumsy and impetuous or delicate and tender. The eclectic phrases and interactions create a wide scenario of feelings and interpretations.

The two male dancers appear as strong figures trying with their stoic presences to calm and protect the tormented, restless female dancers. One of those, possessed by indomitable spirits, jumps with all her forces into the body of the older male dancer that with impassive, elegant and reassuring presence grab her to let her immediately go. Softness and strength are bond in magical, careful moments, sometimes reckless, others gentle and smooth.

The sensual intimacy created by the dancers appear as a beautiful and clumsy tenderness that makes to emerge subtle aspects and bring to the surface non spoken voices.

Sensations grow clear through movements as a reaction of unspeakable matters. Passion becomes an harm and the distress that is released through dense movements is strong and clear. That empty, unbearable, unmanageable struggle that comes out of pain is the leitmotif of this piece that with overpowering aspects depicts intricate sensations becoming the leading impetus of the performance.

Feelings, so strong as abstract and strenuous to express, are explicit through the strong and articulated moving presences. Tangible are the emotional dynamics involved and powerful the inter-wined aspects that characterise diverse human sentiments and reactions.

Virginie Brunelle, with her capable dancers and an appropriate choice of lyrics is able to give form to a suspended and in most cases inexplicable issue and to reflect on dynamics of the human kind, immensely complex as fascinating.