“An intimate evening filled with lots of emotion and heart”
At stage@leeds this evening we get to partake in a showing of a two-part production of Hagit Yakiras work Free Falling. With her four talented dancers, within a simple setting, she manages to create a work that has loads to offer the audience. This was my first time experiencing the work of Hagit Yakira and wow, did I feel different when I left the building compared to when I arrived.
When the stage lights switch on we see two girls standing and leaning on each other. The stillness evokes an interest in the minimalistic details of the relationship between the two. The soundscape in the background soothingly brings all your thoughts and focus into the present. Just enjoying a moment in time. Then… after a while, they start…with a powerful in-breath.
The two pieces by Hagit Yakira both explore the psychological aspect of anxiety in a physical medium. How does the body react to these kinds of emotions? Through the dancers use of breath and gravity we get to witness an endless movement exploration between the individuals but also portrayal of “physical memos” which we all can relate to.
Through a sense of never-ending accumulation of motion and movement one gets truly interconnected and fully invested in this timeless sense of being. The simplicity of the tasks they are given creates a beautiful work of art. Every chapter of the piece is personified by one of the dancers and it colours the dynamic structure, speed, and motion in that part. The way the dancers improvise together within the set structure emphasises the notion of truly being invested in the present. Jumping, falling, and recovering together as a group, always fully aware and awake to respond to each other and where the improvisation takes them next. They become a collective that explore ways they can support each other through the periods of falling and recovering. Every now and then the dancers move into set material. These bits of repertoire compliment the overall piece in a balanced way without being too overpowering.
Through the collaboration between Hagit Yakira and the dancers they succeed in creating an emotional and touching piece, which through its simplicity and honesty touches us where it matters the most.
The piece truly delivers in portraying the beauty of imperfectness; the beauty of being a human being.
northernisms 