Broken: Broken Down

I don’t like writing long reviews. In fact, I usually run out of something to say around about the 400 word mark. Broken, however, has uncharacteristically provided me with so much to say I don’t know where to start.

Broken is the newest venture from Motionhouse, a dance company that simply is unlike any other. In this piece, commissioned by Warwick Arts Centre, of which I saw the world premiere performance, the company pushes physical limits and creates a dynamic spectacular, a feast for the senses which is breathtaking from beginning to end. Artistic Director, Kevin Finnan explores the elements, following on from the critically acclaimed Shattered, which dealt with water, to explore the earth and the way we use, and abuse it.

Just six dancers performed this 70 minute delight, and what dancers they were! At once both graceful and aggressive, fluid and angular, they controlled the stage and told their story with the emotional impact of a tragedy. It’s a story of survival, of saving and being saved, and of things breaking down, and being fixed again. And it is utterly engrossing.

With some stunning solo performances from each dancer, and gravity defying aerial ensembles, making use of suspended poles and boards, the dancers brought a new realisation of space and how it can be used – indeed I can think of few other performances which have used so much of the Arts Centre stage!

But what made this performance even more stunning was the way in which the dancers interacted with Simon Dormon’s visuals projected behind them. Beautifully presented, and always completely in sync, the visuals added depth to the stage, and new emphasis to the movements. From the delicate movements of nymphs in caverns, to boiling lava which rippled as the dancers broke the surface, the visuals enhanced the movements and helped to tell the story as it unfolded dramatically before us.

For me, the best scene came right at the end of the piece, as the dancers manoeuvred falling buildings as an earthquake shattered them to the ground, from falling balconies to climbing from windows, the scene was both realistic and surreal at the same time, as the dancers moved with their dynamic backdrop, as the piece drew to its ultimately cathartic finish.

I left feeling utterly content; as though everything I had seen was exactly as it was meant to be, and yearning for a second half.

Indeed, had it not been for the strain it would have placed on the dancers, who had already been dancing constantly for the seventy minutes, I’d have cried ‘Encore!’ and asked when the interval was over. This is a performance that leaves you wanting to see it again; to notice the little nuances; the expressions in the dancers’ faces and the movements that were going on elsewhere in the stage as you focused on one performer. There was so much to see that I can’t help but feel I didn’t do it justice in the bits I saw, that there was a wealth of movement I missed as I tried to take in the whole scene. As many audience members rose in a standing ovation, I was humbled to see the genuine gratitude on the faces of the dancers, who were so thankful for the praise of their hard work.

This performance is an absolute triumph, and all of the cast and creatives can be sure that as they embark on their world tour, they will be getting many more standing ovations for many nights to come!