Dash of humour
Giannandrea Poesio
ma Bausch's Masurca Fogo, or 'fiery mazurka', has little in common with her previous creations. Light-hearted, carefree and, at times, showing irreverent humour, the work is not permeated by the expressionist angst that is normally and sometimes too generally associated with Bausch. There are indeed some familiar components, including the clockwork, almost conga-like chain of dancers performing in unison derived from ballroom dancing, which has become one of Bausch's signature features. And there are moments of self-caricature and parody in the form of images derived from some of her most memorable creations. But the formulae and the modes of works such as Bluebeard,
Café Muller, 1980, Viktor and Nelken have been replaced here by a startlingly new and fresh approach to the genre of Tanztheater, of which Bausch is the leading figure. And although humorous situations occurred in several of her previous works, none was entirely so, which is the case with Masurca Fogo.
Whether this new approach is dependent on a rethinking of Bausch's creativity and on her need to move away from what ran the risk of becoming a fixed and trite pattern or from other factors is difficult to say. Some have suggested that the new approach parallels the changes in the company — that the arrival of young artists marked the beginning of a new creative era in Bausch's career. I see Masurca Fogo as an interesting yet not at all unexpected experiment that draws upon the natural progression of the illustrious artist's development.
Behind the numerous choreographed and spoken jokes that underscore the performance, some pessimistic lyricism can still be detected together with brief touches of nostalgia and drama. The final sequence, where the only action is a filmed one in the form of blossoming flowers, is anything but comic, and can be read in all sorts of dramatic ways, creating a direct link with the more expressionist imagery of the works cited above.
Indeed, humour is not to everyone's taste, and the various jests and jokes might leave some very disappointed. But it is more a problem of context than of content, for the danced/acted action is no less impressive than that seen in the other longacclaimed works.
As usual, Bausch manages to transform the tritest language of gesture from the everyday into a highly symbolic and richly evocative movement vocabulary. The way a delicately exaggerated swing of a hip becomes 'high art' is incredible and unique. Even a plastic sheet filled with water with dancers gliding in it on their stomachs, a trick as old as time, in Bausch's hands acquires a theatrical depth.
Masurca Fogo is Tanztheater at its best, for it relies on a perfectly considered combination of different components and means of expression. Parodies of everyday situations, such as the elegant lady who absent-mindedly greets members of the audience, or recollections and travel experiences, as in the case of the vendor of plastic household items, mix beautifully with moments in which pure dance is the sole focus of the action, as well as with episodes in which stillness is the key factor.
There is little doubt that those who have recently joined the Tanztheater Wuppertal, Bausch's company, have integrated seamlessly with the more experienced artists, and that Masurca Fogo is an ideal showcase for their talents. It is a pity that the company did not stay longer in London. One can only hope that they will be back soon.
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