PRESS:
Funktionen
Dance art facing land
28.07.2004
Tiit Tuumalu
Nicolas Philibert, one of the most successful documentary film
makers in the world, for us familiar as author of the film “Etre et
avoir”, told recently in Pärnu, that he never does a film about
something, but always with something.
There is a principal difference. First one closes, second one opens
oneself to the subject. Figuratively speaking: if one is cooping the
subject up in the cage, then the other one is letting himself to be
cooped up. The result is accordingly illustration or poetry.
Unquestionably Philibert is a poet. Also German dance maker Thomas
Lehmen is a poet, but differently - he is a poet-scholar. Despite the
fact that he is curiously observing life and letting the life to form
him he never looses his sober mind. Behind the sharp and direct
perception you can always have a hunch of theoretical backstairs, why
and for what.
Indefinite like poetry, punctual as mathematic, such is the dance of Thomas Lehmen.
At the festival “Stuudiotants” on Saturday in Märjamaa culture house we
could see, how to make dance with something. Namely in this night was
presented Lehmen’s work-in-progress “Funktionen”. At the moment he is
preparing his new work with Estonian (Krõõt Juurak, Mart Kangro),
German, Japanese and Hollander dance artists in village Kuusiku close to
Rapla.
As the title says, the basis of “Funktionen” consists of different
functions, stepping in at the moment the person starts to relate
him/herself with surrounding. How much is being left over from our
selves, how much are we taking over from others? Such dilemmas are
flowing through dancers’ bodies mirroring every ones personal
experiences.
It’s astonishing how much of documentary artist Lehmen is. He is not so
much appreciating dancer’s physical potentiality as his/her personality
and culture layers accumulated through time in his/her body. There is no
special stylization in “Funktionen”, there is nobody dancing technique
or combinations on stage, performance is forming of common, everyday
movements, rituals and clichés, the dancers’ own or humankind collective
ownership.
Such a thing could become boring. But it doesn’t. Etudes performed on
stage are genuine and humorous. The old trick of taking a thing out of
its real context and putting it into new one is working perfectly.
Evidently dancers are enjoying their performing.
And most important, “Funktionen” does not claim to have the one and
only truth. It’s asking certain questions, but not closing our “gates of
perception” giving us freedom to answer the questions the way we
understand them.
Here the other aspect intervenes. “Funktionen” has many layers: its
surface is entertaining, but deeper inside you can find the
philosophical sense. Everyone can find something, even those who are
restricted to first layer.
“Funktionen” could stay for ever in the process, not ready made, in
stadium, where searching is more important than finding and process is
more important than the result. It could be performed only in small
“studios”, such as Märjamaa. Isn’t it loosing part of its genuinity
while the process is polished to a product?