DANZWho Are We Now? The Moment You Know, You Know
Who are we now? The moment you know, you know. Twenty thousand or just us six. As long as there’s life for you and me.
Choreographer Maria Dabrowska was at Wellington railway station when she had the seed of an idea for her next dance piece. As she watched hordes of people exiting a train, clad in colourless clothing and looking despondent, Dabrowska felt inspired. She observed a certain rhythm in workaday drudgery, but the absence of joy made her wonder: why have we fashioned this as our lives? What are we moving towards? Who are we now?
That seed became the touchstone for her new choreograpic work Who Are We Now? created in collaboration with the dancers of ChoreoCo by Footnote. Dabrowska explores the freedom inside conformity in this sometimes-moving, sometimes-absurd look at life as we know it.
The piece addresses global communication, over-population and slanted information yet recognises that the newspaper only holds part of the story. Dabrowska’s choreography aims to take the audience beyond the black and white where there is jubilation, celebration, and maybe even exaltation. Who knows what is instore for each of us? In this work Dabrowska attempts to find out.
As a choreographer Maria Dabrowska is often inspired by nature, but has spent time within a much more controlled environment lately - namely: hospital - while receiving treatment for a blood plasma cancer she is now recovering from. Some of the movement in Who Are We Now? is informed by the efficient, detached approach to the human body when its physical wellbeing is the only consideration. This work celebrates life, and the vibrancy, levity and joy that abounds when we push through the predictable and connect to something more… surprising.
“We are thrilled to have Maria working with us in the studio again. A cancer diagnosis is a terrifying reality for many people and to see how Maria has come through her treatment with joy, strength and renewed energy is just amazing. It has also been brilliant to witness her at work with our ChoreoCo dancers, some of whom are experiencing their first paid professional contracts. ” says Footnote General Manager Richard Aindow.
The season premiere of Who Are We Now? is on 26 February at 7:30pm at Circa Theatre as part of the New Zealand Fringe Festival. The show runs until 1 March 2016. Ticketing info at circa.co.nz