Infraspectre

Infraspectre, meaning ‘beneath the exterior’ is a contemporary dance work dealing with a recurring human problem. It highlights our tendency to overlook things that go wrong in life by focusing on the exterior and the linked banalities that go with it: Hair that stays in the airbrush, the tube of toothpaste squeezed in the middle, the toilet seat being left up yet another time, …

A recognizable reason for this behaviour is rooted deeply and

solving it would require a profound search into the inner

self.

Infraspectre, on the other hand, focuses on those futile, excessively far-fetched banalities that hamper one's life. It is behind these that one finds place to hide and ignore the real problem.

A physical translation of this underlying suppression revealed an overall stress in the body, uncontrolable twitches whilst energetic dance phrases were going on, causing a dual alienation. The result is brought to an abstract staging by the performers, which guarantees a bizarre yet recognisable eccentricity.

The sound engineering, by Xavier Van Wersch, was specifically composed for this work and is brought to life by machines (retro electronics such as Atari, Commodore, Amstrad and a manual oscillator). Handmade gizmos also add to the rich texture of Infraspectre: minimalistic solos develop into seriously rhythmical ‘Cuts and Clicks’ and create a mystical and electrical radiation of sound.

The set is a thought provoking sand timer piling up thin white sand, while three painted dancers make their way through numerous outings of frustration that translate in both verbal and physical forms.

From the overall tranquillity of the uniform costumes and make-up, the piece evolves into a Butoh inspired atmosphere, combining minimalist movements with maximalist dance theatre: a path filled with aggression and incomprehension.

concept & choreography: Erwin Wauters, performed by Lies Mahy, Sofie Tack, Erwin Wauters sound engineering Xavier Van Wersch costumes Annemie Buys setting and light design: Erwin Wauters coaching Marc Vanrunxt, Kees Meerman

Video excerpts from Infraspectre (3 in this playlist):