Review - Why Not Kill Us All? - CCDC
1-6-17
Why not kill us all is a production brought to us by City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) and, with his debut as a full-length choreographer, Bruce Wong.
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The production, as a whole, is a synergy of energy. The concept of this piece is, as stated by Bruce Wong himself: "Fear and violence are inseparable. Violence does not solve anything but it is a release of fear.... Everything happens because it is meant to happen." The work here is that of resistance and power, a struggle represented in the energy between the dancers.
There are direct tributes to this concept of energy, with movements of Tai Chi often shown in many of the synchronised dance sequences and other sequences influenced by a variety of martial arts techniques. These particular moments, where the dancers turned upon one another in conflict, often elegantly so, were infused with resistance and aggression. The use of conflict as an inspiration for these moments created an atmosphere of anticipation as the dancers, confined within the stage, turned upon each other.
Why not kill us all was perhaps a cathartic process for choreographer Bruce Wong; the journey of the performers from their opening sequences to their final moments brings a thought-provoking conclusion. The performance begins before even all the audience is seated, with those on stage contrasting against a red stained floor, in simple clothes of grey. They play a lively game in pools of light scattered across the stage. Then a figure in a white suit appears - a representation of fear, the fear which provokes violence and anger in the world. Often this figure, performed vivaciously by Yang Qiao, became the point of conclusion as well as conflict.
The staging was relatively simple, with the largest piece a large, metal square lowered by chains from the ceiling to separate the cast, creating a sense of confinement and separation. This became the weight that needed to be shifted, the energy that would help to create a balance.
The music was especially well done, with orchestral pieces underscoring with magnitude the moments of emotional turmoil. Beautiful lighting also contributed to the effective staging.
This is a strong piece from Bruce Wong and his CCDC dancers who, as usual, are forces of nature and utterly watchable; it may be Bruce Wong's first full-length choreography but I hope it will not be his last.
This production has now closed.
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