Technology, Music and Movement

Preview: Beyond the Body

TaikaBox

Sherman Cymru Theatre 1

7.30pm     Wednesday 11^th June, 2014

Dance, live music and technology come together in a truly innovative and beautiful way in this reworked version of Beyond the Body. The otherworldly production by TaikaBox searches the human spirit, following the characters on their curious journeys of self discovery and development.

This refreshed version of their 2012 original production will be touring Cardiff, Edinburgh, Llanelli and Harlech. Throughout next week TaikaBox will be performing around the city of Cardiff culminating in the performance at Sherman Cymru.

The project is the result of much research by choreographer Tanja Råman and visual artist John Collingswood who make up TaikaBox. From the ritualistic world of the shaman to the non-stop drive of the modern city they have explored the ways in which we connect to our bodies, the people we meet, our beliefs and the world around us.

Five wonderfully unique dancers will help the audience explore the world out of balance. Each one caught up in a repetitive cycle, sometimes given chances of redemption and rebalance. The work is initiated by The Seeker a young woman searching for something, looking through old texts and immersing herself in other worlds. Along the way she encounters four figures, possibly parts of her own imagination or perhaps something entirely different, they share her journey whilst exploring their own paths. They are the four elements, the four directions of the compass, four tribes who once were one. If all four can find balance there is an opportunity for harmony.

In rehearsal the production, even with less than half of its full lighting and projection rig, is visually arresting. Rarely do companies find a way to seamlessly fuse live performance with projected images, yet TaikaBox have done just that. The projections, on the walls and floor, seem to react to the movement of the dancers complimenting their physicality rather than competing with them. In performance this promises to be a really exciting collaboration between body and technology.

The addition of live musicians is the perfect third element, maintaining the ethereal and mystic atmosphere throughout the piece. The rhythms will take you into the world of the shaman or the make you feel the delicacy of our natural environment. With just a drum kit and a trumpet the two musicians will enhance the emotion and intensity of the movement, really capturing the mood.

This unusual and intriguing dance piece is only onstage in Cardiff for one night. Come along and explore, you may just find something important.

Tickets:£12
Concessions: £2 off
Under 25s: Half Price 

www.shermancymru.co.uk/performance/dance/beyond-the-body

Ticket Office 02920 646900