Photo: Luca Truffarelli
‘ENTRE chien et loup’ is a French expression meaning ‘between dog and wolf’. It acknowledges the witching hour, that twilight spell between what is tame and feral and what is real and not. This, and the concept of attachment, underline a contemporary dance piece by Junk Ensemble. Junk is a Dublin based company led by twin dancers/ choreographers, Jessica and Megan Kennedy.
In the noughties, Jessica studied Dance and English in London with Megan heading to New York for Arts Journalism and Drama, on then to Edinburgh. Back in Ireland coincidentally in 2004, they created Junk Ensemble together.
A series of impressive shows have emerged over a decade with ‘The Falling Song’ brought to Lime Tree Theatre through City of Culture.
‘Dusk Ahead’ is their most recent. It has toured to New York and is doing cross-border performances here; professional reviews have been wonderful.
“Between night and day, the dog and wolf – it’s a phrase we have taken that epitomises that strange hour between something domestic and the wild,” observes Jessica Kennedy.
She’s joint artistic director with her twin on this 65 minute drama of five dancers, who sing original lyrics by their father Denis Kennedy, set to a score by Denis Clohessy. The composer has served most of their productions.
She sets a scene of dancers and cellist on stage, shaped by a recorded soundscape with marimba and piano. Golden strings are pulled and choreographed between the dancers who lean in to human need. Some are tied to chairs, making movement difficult.
Lighting by Sarah Jane Sheils and set by Sabine D’argent are integral to this complex weave. Dancers have collaborated with the shadows, there are gilt skeins and animalistic motifs, wolf, ostrich, choosing to be blind, the path of ignorance.
‘Beauty, delicacy, complexity’ have defined comment in those who have seen ‘Dusk Ahead’.
Wednesday November 18 only at 8pm. See www.limetreetheatre.ie
