Lost in Dreamland

Body traffic dance review by Chloe Hoang

3/14/17

            “Was it real or was it a dream?” That was the question that floated around every time a piece end. For straight up two hours, the Body Traffic dance company amazed the audience with their beautiful dancing and brilliant choreography. There was no need for a dramatic stage or ten costume change. The night was simply all for dance.

            There were only a total of seven dancers in the whole show. They all took turn and played different roles in the performance. There were four pieces, each one has its own story. Out of the four amazing pieces, Private Games: Chapter One, definitely stand out. The piece is odd, because the dancers did not just dance, they acted and interacted with the audience. The choreography is unique, absolutely nothing like the usual moves on TV or any music videos. They are much more meaningful. The dancers’ skills are absolutely unbelievable. Their lines are perfect, their floor works are smooth, and their moves were clean with very high speed. They dance so light and effortlessly, even though the moves are very complex and probably gave them bruises all over. The best thing about their performance is seeing the way they flow with each other. When first learning a choreography, their interpretation of the rhythm might not have been exact, but during the performance, they were all on the same exact rhythm.

 Towards the end of the piece, one female dancer began acting and interacting with the audience, taking everyone by surprise. It was very interesting, because it was way out of the ordinary. And if you think that dancing and comedy don’t go hand in hand, then this piece will prove you wrong. They managed to act in a way that brings humor to the audience using dance.

            The creativity of the choreography is astonishing. Can you think of a way to act out and avocado, of coffee using dance? Because Anton Lachky can. And repetition of movements would usually get boring, let alone of sections. But Anton Lachky is able to coordinate sections in a way that brings life and meaning to the piece, instead of making it seem boring.

            Contemporary dance is a very complex form, that may be hard for people who are not involved or familiar with to understand. The show that Body Traffic brought to the ICA was definitely complex, and probably confuse several audience members. Just like like dreams, sometimes they are confusing, but the confusion does not make the piece any less beautiful. In dreamland or not, the show was a huge success, and a pleasant to watch.