La La La Human Steps created by Édouard Lock was a Montreal based dance troupe which began in the 1980s and disbanded in 2015. I had no idea what to expect from the piece. All I can say is that I was blown away by the skill of these master dancers. The strength each performer exhibited was beyond any that I have ever seen. To me it was like comparing Ringling Bros. Circus to Cirque du Soleil both good, but very very different.
The film opens with Amelia, demonstrating her strength standing perfectly still on pointe, slowly stretching waking up her limbs. She begins running straight at the camera, almost as if greeting you to the experience. Beautiful people moving robotically in perfect synchronization flawlessly executing complex and intricate dance steps at blinding speeds. Female dancers standing on pointe in stick like fashion holding the pose for what seemed an eternity. The men all strikingly handsome, well-coiffed, manicured, and incredibly strong. Lifting and swinging females overhead, and low to the ground and then sweeping them back up again in one fluid motion.
Each scene change was abrupt and stark. Spotlights focused on the dancers as they move in staccato at mechanically swift speeds. At times is appears like the film is put into fast forward, but it is the music that speeds up, dancers draw on their skills to keep pace. With each scene comes a different tempo, lighting silhouetting dancers as they pirouette across the stark bamboo floors and walls, circles of light bouncing around the room as if part of the ensemble. Disorienting the viewer as strobe lights flash in front of and behind dancers, music speeding up, and the movements whirl around the stage. Overhead Shots from the ceiling then cut to close up of dancer’s face then cut away to close ups of dancers commingled forms. The camera pans up and down their bodies as they intertwine and zip across the floor.
The soundtrack is fast then dark, dramatic, peaceful, and at points spritely, at others, sad. But my favorite were the bits of the David “Bowiesk” styles, The punk/new wave vibe with the costumes of adrongynously dressed men and women in identical suits. The scene opens with an overhead shot with a wide angle lens, making it difficult to initially distinguish between male and female dancers. Bowie, the main-streamer of androgyny, chic before chic was “in”.
God, I miss Bowie. The Bowie sound is more my speed, and the film made me dig out this old gem from my club days. Dance Magic Dance. https://soundcloud.com/w-lf-stormrage/dance-magic-dance-david-bowie from when life was fun.
Not sure the review does justice to the art of this piece or not. I was drawn into this film, mesmerized by the skill of these dancers and the elegance of their movements. The film pulls you in, you cannot look away. Viewers are left spellbound by its execution and presentation. In the end, my mind was spinning at the fantastic performances.
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