thaw, Extended Body, No More Fantasies | Reflections: Mel Vee

If there is one phrase that sums up the triple bill on October 26th, it was this- I didn’t know human beings could move like that. The bill began with Zahra Shahab’s extraordinary piece, thaw. Shahab captivated the audience with her precise and haunting movements. The energy of her presence filled and illuminated the entire space even and especially without music. The intensity of her movement captivated through the times where I was thematically lost. Shahab deftly blended the more tortured elements of the piece with humor and lighthearted play. The way Shahab moves in unison with the materials and seems to blur the very distinction between dancer and object was unlike anything I have ever seen and is a testament to the inherent storytelling of her movements. thaw was an intellectual and visual delight. 

Extended Body was the piece I was most excited to see for Fluid Fest. The piece begins with a sarcastic narrator introducing the performer and her movements, which sets the tone thematically for the piece. Erin Ball mocks able-bodied notions of movement by skewering what we think is possible for a disabled body. What gripped me most was how Ball changes her pegs without any regard to how the audience might perceive this and exuberantly flouts ableist pity and assumptions in the process. The piece is an absolute joy. The circus-like environment that is created mocks the circus that is able-bodied people voyeuristically looking into the experience of disabled bodies on stages. Ball’s feats of strength, athleticism and finesse are a perfect blend for the biting wit and sarcasm of the piece.  

After witnessing the excellence of thaw and Extended Body, I was deeply disappointed by the addition of No More Fantasies to this bill. The craftsmanship and utter POC and disabled brilliance on display in the works of Shahab and Ball was at odds with the baffling casualness and seeming lack of preparation on display for No More Fantasies. Although the intention of the dancers, to challenge the perfection and stereotypes of contemporary dance was evident when I read the description of the performance after the fact, it was not at all evident during the performance. I felt No More was a self-indulgent display which seemed to be more for the gratification of the dancers than the audience. Although technically sound and thematically playful, No More Fantasies left me feeling cold and ultimately unfulfilled.

Mel Vee is a queer Black (out)spoken word artist, burlesque performer, and photographer who was born and raised in Mohkinstsis, colonially known as Calgary.