Annabel van Baren

Photo: Anna van Kooij

Man or Fish by British Henrietta Hale is a striking duet that places two men in a range of scientific experiments in order to discover the substance of their dancing. Their movements, physical interaction and reactions are researched / stripped down to their barest essentials. They create a strange kind of movement vocabulary in the process, full of absurdity, vulnerability, and humour. Henrietta’s work arises from a place of experimentation and risk–taking within her processes, embracing a cross-disciplinary approach. I was struck by the fact that so many members of the audience laughed out loud: repeatedly even. Their laughs were at time annoyingly present; especially the scenes which featured the dancers falling over each other and making ‘strange’ sounds were popular. Furthermore, I was struck with the light-design of this particular performance: a simple, ‘Pong-like’ grid of florescent yellow lines defined the borders of the dancers’ movements, shifting to a different section of the stage after each ‘scene’. Also the costumes are worth mentioning: Henrietta indulged in absurdity when clothing both fully grown and muscle-clad men in boyish nightwear. Man or Fish surprised, drew in, and entertained whilst evoking a strong sense of engagement and depth.