“Agrimony” is a genre-defying performance featuring live music (composed by UK-based Laura Reznek) and contemporary dance (choreographed by Vancouver-based Sophie Dow). The show is brought alive by musicians–Laura Reznek, Jonah Ocean, Roisin Adams, J Daniel Baxter, Chris Marriott, and interpretive dancers–Amanda Testini, Tavia Christina, Mohammed Rashead, Sophie Dow. This show is presented by The Dance Center as part of the Global Dance Connection Series.
The immersive show welcomes the audience into an introspective mood with the help of a stellar cast of artists. Before the show begins, the stage is open. The musicians play an idle melody while anthropomorphised creatures–an owl (Amanda Testini) and a coyote (Tavia Christina) meditatively wrestle with a rope, furtively glancing at everyone in the room. The esoteric setting becomes more layered as the lights dim. Laura Reznek bursts forth with a dramatic violin composition and welcomes more dancers into the gathering–a rabbit (Mohammed Rashead) and a spiral ram (Sophie Dow). As the musical crew weaves their magic, the animalistic dancers respond with varying intensity. It soon becomes clear that each creature brings in unique flavors, representing moods ranging from fiercely aggressive to gentle grace. The evocative tunes merge into fluid movement which in turn informs a larger thread of interconnection and natural reciprocity. The dancers present a dynamic story that is inspired by Sophie Dow’s Métis heritage. In response to the live concert, they slip in and out of masks, going from synchronized swaying to antagonistic combats and back again to mutuality.
Delving into resonant themes of nature, power and universal coexistence, “Agrimony” makes one wrestle with vulnerable human emotions such as pain, greed, anger and suffering. Ultimately, the performers channel the spirits they represent into an embodied awareness of the expansive worlds contained within and outside human consciousness. The dance is abstract yet concrete, the music is beyond mesmerizing. “Agrimony” is an impressive execution of multi-disciplinary art, capturing the majestic intricacies of anthropocene societies via animalistic ritualization.
– Annapoorna Shruthi