NEVER STILL - ACTION AT A DISTANCE

Vanessa Goodman’s Never Still is an aesthetically exceptional piece. Goodman and her strong team of collaborators made fantastic use of video projection and sound design, creating a truly immersive and ambient experience.

The dance performance, although beautiful and strong, was not as enrapturing as the technical aspects of this piece. The performers had little engagement either with the audience or with each other, which created a feeling of surreal distance between what they were experiencing on stage and what we felt as audience members. It was as though they didn’t know we were there at all. This made it difficult to maintain interest in the performance, and often differed the gaze to the stunning video and design work behind, above, and below, the dancers.

This piece may offer a gateway into the world of contemporary art for those who have yet to experience or enjoy it. Goodman’s ability to create a strong aesthetic without saturating the piece in suggestion or implication, allows an audience to simply sit back and enjoy the show.

Never Still is laying at the Firehall Arts Centre 26 - 29 September 2018.
Tickets at: http://firehallartscentre.ca/onstage/never-still/

~ reviewed by Madisen Steele