Thus Spoke | SCPA Review

Thus Spoke captivated the audience with its imprudent, exciting and humorous content. The first scene was remarkable, starting off with a male performer speaking through a mic that was the only prop used in the piece. The first political statement of the piece pertained to “privilege”. The dancer explored what it means to be privileged. Following that statement, the performer introduced the theme of “contingency” as he lay on the floor maneuvering himself around the mic stand. The performance switched suddenly as one of the male performers started a chant about salary. Loud rock and roll music began playing and the performers began running and yelling around the stage. In this moment the audience was pleasantly surprised and instantly became more engaged in the performance.

This piece makes you question, What is dance? What can the “body/ies” do? Simply put, dance is the movement quality of everyday actions in a different form. The dancers used the mic to clearly demonstrate their impulses and the music around them. They traveled through a great amount of space, utilizing the entire stage, exploring different abstract shapes and levels with their bodies. It was clear that the dancers focused on their breathing, as their bound movements were sustained and well executed. Having speech as the main element of the performance made for a very pleasurable experience. The infusion of speech and movement working together was mesmerizing. As the piece came to an end a female performer spoke about justice and how each and everyone one of us have the power to create a just world.

Are you dance curious? Satisfy your curiosity with this outrageous performance!    

Christina Scott-Casey is a dance major at The University Of Calgary. She has fifteen years of dance performing experience.