Today, Friday, March 13th, 2009, I brought my family to see casebolt & smith at the Vancouver International Dance Festival. The show started with a lady on stage asking a man in the audience about his opinion on how she sounded on the stage and looked. "Am I too loud? Does it sound like I'm yelling?" They both talked back on forth giving each other opinion and feedback on how or what they were doing. The man soon approached the stage and got up to join the lady. "And then I'll do this.. and then you do that." was the banter that went on between them. The performance was certainly very vocal and different from the normal dance shows I've seen where dancers usually don't speak. They re-enacted everything they said physically. The relationship and interaction were awkward at times making the audience laugh with glee.
They seemed immersed in choreographing a piece together. The lot of banter and feedback on the way they look, what they did and how they did an action went even to the point of "cupping". I won't eloborate on the cupping but yes, it involves up there and down there. What can I say, I brought my 3-year old and 1-year old to see this show. I thought it was hilarious, odd and truly uncomfortable at the same time. I was torn in feeling really amused and acting appropriately as a parent. My 3-year old roared with laughter with the audience when they laughed, stopped and looked at me to ask "Mommy, what are they doing?" Towards the end of the show, I was smiling meekishly at an audience member in embarrassment because my child was making too much noise. I got an angry glance and a scoff at my child. Most were quite tickled by the show. Someone at the table said that my 3-yr old seem to say the right things at the same. I felt awkward and a little self-conscious thinking of myself being labeled a bad parent with no sense or judgement. But enough about myself, the show was funny. A great show to bring your girlfriend or significant other or pals too. I'd say I still have difficulty talking to my parents or kids about sexual things so I probably won't take my parents or kids to it.
In the case of casebolt & smith, I believe they are guilty of meddling with our minds turning cupping and sexual connotations into mere technical and repetitive math. The strained awkwardness in trying to erase the sexual tension and to portray the actions as nonchalant as believable as possible made the story amusing to watch. This show is a journey of two great dancers working together as the couple tried fervently to brush aside any sexual desires, to work with as little emotion and attachment to each other. In the end, they stood awkwardly looking at each other only to rush into each others' arms hugging and gropping each other with raw sexual desire. I'm giving too much away ... this show is true entertainment live.
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