Bruno Beltrao’s CRACKz is an out and out contemporary work. A bridge between conventional stage presentation and modern day digital technology that is fast engulfing human life. Beltrao allows his dancers to capture images from the web space and transpose the memory through the physical medium of their body and movement.13 dancers randomly pick 28 video clips. They study them over a year and copy them to produce what we see on stage as CRACKz. A stunning idea that breaks the bounds of a conventional performance or any set pattern. Beltrao’s concept of the production comes to life through a series of movements, danced and re danced- an allegory for the relentless monotony of contemporary technological life!
The stage opens wide with side wings removed to create the illusion of massive ‘space’ personifying the web with its terrabytes of data.. and producing more.. and more!! This space is not attractive and lacks aesthetics. It is presented as a grey vista wrapped in a play of light and shadow. Shades of mustard and orange, a light bulb illuminating and then dim, dimmer to dark. Thats exactly the feel on stage, but magnified. This alternates with a stunning play of shadow in which the dancers are dark cut outs against a misty grey. Though Beltrao’s style is hip hop, for CRACKz he has used the medium of contemporary technique. The base is a thin layer of hip hop, but completely devoid of the feel good celebratory party mood of its conventional presentations. The choreography is intense with mostly powerful spins, turns, breaks and jerks. Movements more towards gravity have been predominantly used. All 13 dancers take the stage to storm with their physicality and precision through brilliant sets of choreographic moments. Light design and background score in the show set the mood just right. Besides direction and choreography, Beltrao also has a hand in the lighting design with Tiedo Wilschut. A uniquely talented artist that Beltrao is, has created a unique and intense presentation in CRACKz, swirling the audience into ‘space’, after a mesmerising journey through a dark tunnel.
Protima Chatterjee
