Becky, Jodi and John

Where: Dancehouse, Melbourne, Australia

Some performances fail to move me. It’s inevitable really. As individuals we are primed to respond to differing things, and an art form so visual, abstract or experimental is sometimes difficult to connect with. I don’t think this was the case with John Jasperse’s “Becky, Jodi and John”.

Poignant, rich in humor and charmingly honest, Becky Hilton, Jodi Melnick and John Jasperse explore the notion of dancing past the age of forty. These three dancers, to whom dance has moulded and shaped their lives for many years, have the wisdom and self discipline to elicit from their bodies movement phrases that reflect their connectedness and understanding of physicality.

In a world where dancing past forty is seen as a gamble that won’t pay off, observing the movements of these dancers attests to this falsehood. Dance, like aging, is fluid and constantly shifting, requiring continual self assessment and regulation. This is not a bad thing. Jodi, in a letter to John and Becky, indicates this process.

I don’t jump. Ever.

Continuing to list the limits of her movement potential she dances, and it is evident that even through working within this complex list of no-no’s, her movements are not uninteresting – they are precise and compelling. Her movement vocabulary seems neither stilted nor shortened for ideas.

These dancers, whether performing alone or weaving and falling fluidly in and around one another, show a movement sophistication not always present in younger dancers. Though their bodies may not have a youthful aesthetic, their movements are clean, connected and beautiful to watch. Their years of training, and life experience, combine to demonstrate how well they know themselves and their bodies, or how confident that are to express their shortcomings.

A fourth dancer was asked to be in the work, but due to time restraints was unable to make in person, thus her presence in the piece is through a Skype video, acting as a wall to bounce ideas, statements and humor from.

Articulation is the new black she states, giggling. After a loaded pause, almost too quick to catch, she mutters … no it’s not. This indecisive, inquiring, sharing line of conversation in itself reflects why these dancers can succeed in dancing past the age of forty – they are active, they pursue, question and try to answer themselves and the dilemmas of life around them.

Sharing these very personal fears was a way of catapulting the question of age and human fear out there, creating a vulnerable and compelling form of expression.

I think I become irrelevant only when my body keep answering a question with the same answer… …Maybe she’s just trying to say I’m getting old…

That surrendering in this art form is a harsh reality highlights the ridiculousness of the statement. Slow, meditative movement combined with quicker duos, costume changes, nudity and a cheeky remote controlled gadgets created a performance that challenged, explained and inspired its audience. It was unapologetic and yet demonstrative and is a clever device for those out there who would judge dance vs. age with a very narrow outlook.

This work moved me.
It moved me very much.