Not for Everybody is a new dance theatre performance premiering on Friday on the Falaki main stage at AUC. The show will run for three more days after, with more showings scheduled for 9 and 11 September. The premise of the performances is simple enough: put six people in one space to see how they connect. The performance will explore human relations and how different people connect, physically and verbally, in subtle manners to bring out the nuances of communication.
The performance is part of the Contemporary Dance Night 2, which aims to fill the gap between different parties in the performance, according to choreographer Mirette Michail, who is responsible for Not for Everybody, and is the artistic director and founder of No Point Perspective Dance Theater.
“The project came about when we noticed that there was a gap between the choreographers, the artists, and the audience. So we give 15 minute performances, four a day, over two days with an open discussion with the audience following the performances. This is not only for the audience as some of the artists may not have found their style yet and may need a space to explore openly,” she explained.
The performance is described as being a “work in progress” by Michail because it is a prelude to a final performance set to take place around January or February of next year. The reason it is billed as a work in progress is because Michail says she normally does not put on 15 minute performances but she thought it important to share with the public what the dance company does and to help the artists explore different styles.
She stressed that it can be seen as a show in and of itself and not as part of something bigger to quell concerns over how rewarding the performance would be for the audience. An interesting aspect of the performance will be improvisation: “This is dance theatre, so it is different in some respects from contemporary. There will be improvisation within a given framework, so for example, even though some scenes will be scripted in order, what happens between the people will not be. Some are amateurs and only two have danced professionally or seriously before.”
Though it is primarily a dance performance, there will be other elements such as the musical and verbal aspects (scripted and improvised) which will compliment the choreography and work together to produce a multilayered work, reportedly a signature style of Michail’s work.
Whatever the results are, admission is free and the downtown location is convenient for many people who will be interested to see how human communication in a given space can be portrayed through dance.
