RAW: I left my shoes on warm concrete and stood in the rain – Gabrielle Nankivell – Space – 4K

By Julia George

Gabrielle Nankivell is a talented dancer, so much in fact that she has shone in a solo performance, her latest choreography “I left my shoes on warm concrete and stood in the rain,” a 50minute theatrical dance ‘visual poem’.

The piece starts in darkness, with loud and strong audio that sounds like a herd of horses blended with other noises. After a short delay strobe lights flash as Gabrielle begins moves in an erratic way. The audio / visual poem then begins, which explores the ‘struggles’ of life, and although highly abstract, it resonates in a meaningful way.

Throughout the performance there’s a juxtaposition of light and shade, in both the audio and visual aspects, taking the audience on a ride of both fear and joy. The set design complements whilst it also clashes, with old suitcases and a decorated tree, amongst other eclectic items, representative of life’s journey. A big screen made from butcher’s paper is the centrepiece and throughout the performance sections of the poem are flashed on it.

The synchronicities of the audio and visual elements of the performance are flawless and this creates moments of shock, suddenly at one point the audio reached a crescendo and the room switched to pitch black in the same second and at other point the strobe lights flashed, coinciding with the audio. This perfectly in sync and dramatic element added to the theatricality of the performance whilst it also complemented Nankivell’s beautiful, flowing choreography.

Toward the end of the piece Nankivell wears boots, which she then removes to reveal bloody feet, and she then pours more blood out of the shoe. Most likely this is a symbolic representation of war wounds from the journey of life.

This piece really is more than a choreographic piece of contemporary dance. Luke Smiles and Benjamin Cisterne are the masterminds behind the original soundtrack, which brought the performance together, through a combination of sound effects, voices and music. Nonetheless Nankivell’s choreography looks effortless and makes for an entertaining work of performance art.

Kryztoff Rating  4K