Review: « Power Up » at Kulturhuset Stadsteatern Husby
Tone down yourself, or turn up and show their strength? When the text « Tone it down » flickers in the background, it is a contrast to and reminder of the title at Stadsteatern Husby’s new dance performance. There is no doubt what « power up » chooses.
With obvious pondus, six women step in and take over the stage. Each in its own way, since individual expressions and personal improvisations of the steps are part of the Jamaican genre Dancehall Queen Style, characterized by female strength and sensuality.
The dancers work with fast, energetic, floor -close, body -insulating and acrobatic movements. Spagues, head standing and muscle -explosive tricks that could be only skill show if it were not for the attitude and the playful rhythmic timing. « I’m going to be queen here » is called the choreographer, rapper and dancer Imenella Mohamed’s book that comes this week, and also that title gives a hint about which facial expression applies in her choreography.
The ensemble consists of Half of members of the feminist Danish collective Unruly Gang, which Mohamed joined and founded with Rut Roos, responsible for the basic music mix. This is the first time this dance style has been put up at Kulturhuset Stadsteatern and certainly rests here a sense of elementary presentation. But anyone looking for a deeper story finds hints in group dynamics and sisterhood.
For the style’s competition -oriented elements, with « group bats », is formulated here as cocky loving challenges with the purpose of collective development – to lift up instead of knocking each other out. A hint of narrative movement from changing rooms to show can be found in Tobias Hallgren’s stage room and Amanda Wisselgren’s costume design, and framing is also formed by the pervasive humorous glimpse-in-the-eye connector.
If the dance is currently longing for more direct audience contact, as in Cullberg’s « Guerilla » where you have thought about club feeling and interactivity, then Imenella Mohamed does not have to think so much about how. The contact is in the nature of the genre and in the fact that for several years she has kept dance classes in the house. The loudly raising premiere audience shows that right here, « power up » can take a seat with full strength.
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