12:51pm Friday 1st May 2009
By Elizabeth Norman
On Wednesday 29th of April I had the pleasure of watching the world premiere of ‘Rain Parade’, the latest work from the dance company Lost Dog, which also supported by a commission form DanceDigital. The premiere was held at the Weston Auditorium at the University of Hertfordshire and lasted approximately 45 minutes.
The story behind the dance focuses on two people, a man and a woman, locked together in a room in what the audience is left to assume is a post apocalyptic world. Within this room there are television screens which reveal eyes watching the two protagonists,as well as a chair specifically designed to remove both of their memories if they desire. As a result it first appears that neither man nor woman remember anything of the outside world, in fact they cannot even remember their own names.
From the small amount of information we pick up via the man’s strange ramblings, it appears the two have been placed together in order to breed. We also gather that the female looks like someone the male used to know, but does not wish to remember. Throughout the course of the show the tension begins to build. The audience are encouraged to question what has happened to result in locking up two strangers and removing their memories, until finally that tension is suddenly broken and we come to discover that what happened to result in such circumstances has already and is still happening today.
The piece itself brings together a wonderful array of dance, music and theatre. Although it mixes with technology it does not distract from the overall narrative, but rather strengthens it, and the piece never once falls away from its main form of expression – dance.
Overall the show is interesting to watch. Not only is it thought provoking but also a wonderful take on how the future of mankind may pan out. For me at least it was a whole new way to witness dance.
If you want any information on the upcoming performances of ‘Rain Parade’, or if you want to know more about the work of Lost Dog then checkout their website, lostdogdance.co.uk.
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