What makes Christos Papadopoulos’ movement style distinct is his approach to ‘molecular’ embodied details: a dance-theatricality dedicated to minor gesture, but when transferred on bigger scale, it transforms into enchanting terrestrial moving entities, or could refer to natural movement phenomena. Far from being strictly minimalistic, his nuanced, subtle expressionism is one of strong impact, an exercise in repeatability and the rhythmic-spatial unfolding of choreography. His new piece My Fierce Ignorant Step, premiered in Onassis Stegi, is paved on these familiar grounds. Compared to his earlier works, it is built on a rigorous musical structure (here composed by Kornilios Selamsis) and brings movement in closer dialogue with musicality.
The piece has one key element: unison between the ten dancers (though Georgios Kotsifakis and Sotiria Koutsopetrou sparkle with a touch of alluring finesse). It starts with subtle beats, each corresponding to a body part: step, head, shoulder in a rhythmical circular pattern, like ticking to the mechanical repetitive sound. You could also take it as an atypical warm-up, a chance to observe each individual before their dance turns into a doodle. All ten dancers wear a fierce look on their face, a sort of Jets-meet-Sharks for the first time, a stage-gang with a touch of weekday fashion. Steadily, more music instruments are incorporated into the composition (cymbals, piano etc), and accordingly, more movements accumulated in the choreographic sequence, proposing a physically jubilant response to the music elements that escalate into a fully-blown composition. Eventually, you can’t but think of Ravel’s Boléro, especially towards the last part where the breathing chorale joins forces with the Bach trumpet.
The choreography is enlivened by aperçus of Jerome Robbins’ sneaker ballet, with stomping, fast crossing diagonals, abrupt shifts and dancers periodically turning their back to the audience, so that you refresh your gaze or focus differently on group dynamics. You might even capture snippets of subtle personal touches to a sexy ripple or a shaking of the hips. The balanced lightning design by Stefanos Drousiotis accentuates clarity but won’t deprive you of a splash of colour, when rhythm and dance march together in unparalleled heights. My Fierce Ignorant Step is after all about the jovial sharing of group energy, a metaphor for communal rejoicing under a triumphant music score.
