In the dark space Gordon Spraggs words on trust, trustworthiness and frankness are sounding, words that in our modern world with its affinity towards estrangement can evoke arousal. Only when the eyes get used to the dark the dancer Johanna Chemnitz appears.
The text is being replaced by electronic music and Chemnitz now is in the enlightened space inside the darkness of her closed eyes. She´s moving unerringly, at times energetic, at times anxiously exploring the room. As she finally opens up her eyes, her eyelids don't stop blinking, the trembling spreads through all her body until even her naked belly starts blinking from these quivers. The dancer's dynamics color the consistent musical amplitudes: under the watchful eyes of the audience Chemnitz again and again holds her ground in the fight against an invisible but perceptible antagonist. But again and again she also sinks down hurt, weakened and without hope.
With the piece „Soft Target”, the fourth part in a series she began in 2006, the Icelandic choreographer Margret Sara Gudjonsdottir portraits powerful, in fact empty, but still confusing stereotypes within a world where everyone is seemingly pretending to be someone else. In an impressively clear way the puristic dance, shaped by repetition, shows how the game of identities can nullify our trust-based interpersonal feeling of coherence.
Venue: Ballhaus Ost, Berlin
Source: Tanspresse.de
Date of the publishing: 7. October 2010
Critic: Ann-Christin Görtz
The Reykjavík Dance Festival was packed with diverse experiments this year and was opened with the performance by Margrét Sara Guðjónsdóttir called Soft Target. The movement material of the piece consisted of both animalistic movements and repetitive minimalist movements such as blinking of the eyes. It is clear that detailed work had been done on the movements used in the performance which despite being minimalist were effective and kept a certain dynamic going throughout.
The music had a strong role in creating a specific and strong atmosphere. The piece had a constant and good build up and hypnotizing effect on the audience. They were offered to sit back and allow themselves to be taken on a trip. A strong moment worth mentioning is when the dancer Johanna Chemnitz appeared for the first time after a text sequence in total darkness. There the play between the music, lights and her movements set the tone for what was in store. Without a doubt the performance is a breath of fresh air into the Icelandic dance scene and it will be interesting to follow the artistic development of Margrét Sara in the future.
Festival: Reykjavík Dance Festival
Newspaper: Morgunblaðið, Icleland
Date of the publishing: 6. September 2010
Critic: Ásgerður Guðrún