The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is known for its countless shows, but underneath the excitement lies the struggle that artists and venues face due to rising costs and funding cuts. Dance Base, a year-round arts organization in Edinburgh, has announced a reduction in its activities and is presenting a smaller program for the festival in association with Assembly. However, the eclectic mix of local and international artists and their surprising, delightful, and sometimes disappointing work remains unchanged. Additionally, Dance Base is hosting a touching photographic exhibition showcasing dancers living in Ukraine, which is definitely worth a visit if you’re nearby.
One of the standout shows at the festival is Bettina Szabo’s solo performance, “Habitat.” The performance revolves around an incredible prop made of 600 paper cones, resembling a long origami cape or a hedgehog costume designed by Issey Miyake. As Szabo slowly moves and unfolds her body, the prop sits unassumingly on the stage, resembling a hermit crab searching for its next home. Szabo’s breath, which becomes increasingly urgent throughout the performance, adds to the ambient soundscore. When she finally finds her new shell, the exhales of relief and the catching of breath create a powerful moment. It’s these small, intimate details that truly enhance the piece. Once Szabo enters the sculpture, created by artist Jacinthe Derasp, it takes on a life of its own, transforming from a slumbering beast into a puffer fish, an armadillo, a sharp-toothed monster, a feathery exotic bird, and a designer interpretation of Jabba the Hutt. The possibilities are truly mesmerizing. The clever use of lighting, both inside and outside the costume, evokes the pastel shimmer of the northern lights and the intensity of a forest fire, serving as a reminder of those seeking sanctuary or migrating to new lives. The piece unfolds at a meditative pace, allowing the audience to experience the quiet wonders of this folded paper creation.
In addition to “Habitat,” there is a sense of bizarre and unexpected in New Zealand’s Foster Dance performance, “Double Goer.” The cast consists of two women who bear a striking resemblance to each other, with matching long brown hair and black knickers. Within a ring of neon lights, the two women intertwine in a bundle, their feet sticking out in all directions. The dynamic between them remains unclear – are they co-dependent, possessive, or passionate? Are they lovers, siblings, or some sort of hybrid beings? Dancers Rose Philpott and Tamsyn Russell move with rhythmic precision, thrashing their hair in a more primal version of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s iconic “Rosas Danst Rosas.” The piece leaves the audience pondering whether they are witnessing a battle between the id and ego, the balance of yin and yang, the triumph of an alpha female, or a shedding of innocence. It’s a performance filled with ambiguity, and the unexpected elements such as death, skeletons, and eccentric outfits add intrigue and maintain interest.
Local choreographer Katie Armstrong showcases her talent as part of the Made in Scotland showcase. In her double bill, “Sketches/Glisk,” Armstrong demonstrates her proficiency but struggles to find her own unique voice. Her collaboration with live musicians is exciting, and the inclusion of a quintet of strings led by violinist Fay Guiffo and electronic composer and turntablist Mariam Rezaei generates a striking sonic contrast to Bach’s Violin Concerto in A minor, which serves as inspiration for “Sketches.” The string players move around the stage and are subtly manipulated by the dancers. Although Armstrong is not the first choreographer to explore the interaction between dancers and musicians, it remains a challenging task to make that interaction meaningful. How can they complement each other’s presence and enlighten each other’s art? The crowded stage space due to the musicians can potentially hinder the dancers from fully expressing themselves. The choreography, while precise and controlled, lacks inspiration and fails to explore the potential of the music. Similarly, “Glisk” falls short in creating a meaningful relationship between the choreography and the music, resulting in a somewhat lackluster performance. However, Armstrong’s talent and potential are evident, and hopefully, she will have the resources and opportunities to further develop her voice in the future.
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