A cast of four dancers dressed in primary colours and black, sit with their backs to us as they wait for an audience of kids (7+) and their care-givers to settle. As they sit, on the empty black stage at Circa Theatre, I hear an echo of “Why aren’t they moving?” and “Did you see that? The orange one moved!” 

The first act of this work is true to the choreography’s name, Tetris: the computer game, as the performers make and shift shapes in a kaleidoscope of configurations. They, slide, flip, rotate, lift and drop alone and in groups of two, three and four. They move efficiently and accurately. I am impressed with the multitude of formations that they pass through with the limitation of block like actions. The audience are too, as they gasp and ohh and ah.  

Four Rubik’s cubes enter the stage via some kind of process of excretion, from bodies to floor. The dancers’ actions change with this arrival, their bodies close and become, well, more ‘cubular’. Throughout this a shift in group dynamics occurs as one of the dancers is more often alone than with others.

Whilst this thematic shift is meant to be something that kids of this age relate to, it seems a bit too simplistic in its delivery; it lacks sophistication. I do however enjoy the clear relation between the movement of the lonely dancer and the Rubik’s cube. I think this is a great way for kids to see where abstract movement can be derived from.

The next section of the work involves a somewhat awkward transition from fourth wall performance to audience interaction. Performers make their way into the audience with cubes in hand. I love that Arch 8 are inviting kids to try out the process of operating the cube, allowing them to see how their movement of it could affect the movement of the dancers. Super cool. It is just so weird in relation to the form of the rest of the show so far. How could this tricky transition be more easeful?

The performers return to the stage for another round of Tetris shape-shifting to melancholic music.  I sense a lull in the audience with this low impact version (my kid decides to have a sleep under her seat). But she and I are then bought back with intrigue as children, and then adults are invited onto the stage.

Now this is a sweet transition! So easeful and calm and the absolute highlight of the work for me, and undoubtedly others. Before I know it kids a-plenty are doing snippets of material from the work, in patterns around the room. It’s a bit of puzzle how this end section evolves but it is beautifully inclusive, feel-good magic.

What I wonder with this work is how it would pan out if it flipped back and forward between the traditional dance show format and audience participation from the get go? Whilst I enjoy it as is, I think I would have loved it if hints of the end had been injected throughout.

Thanks for coming Arch 8. I’m new to contemporary choreography for kids, so it’s great to see what people from afar are doing in this realm.  

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