Unspoken – Project Arts Centre – Review by Frank L.

Choreographed by Aisling McCormick, music by Danny Forde

Part of the Rough Magic Seeds Programme

This is a new piece of dance choreographed by Aisling McCormick, with music by Danny Forde. There are four dancers: Aisling McCormick, Michael Chanda, Suzette Das and Sallay Garnett. They are strikingly visually different as human beings. However they come together in movement to create an ever evolving, turning, rhythmically altering, visually changing series of forms. Their physical differences enhance the forms.

It is the rhythm of Danny Forde’s music, which utilises a great deal of percussion including also some clapping and singing from two of the dancers, which ensures this piece contains continuous novel happenings as it proceeds for its 30 minutes. Forde has two musicians Shane Kenrick and Cote Calmet with him. There are drums, guitar and tenor saxophone, along with vocals and clapping. The slaps of the dancers feet on the stage floor also forms part of the percussion sound. The pace is swift and the choreography requires a high degree of energy, particularly from Michael Chanda which he displays with authoritative ease.

The lighting design of Zia Holly is a further enhancement to the movement. Fine silhouettes are thrown against the simple back wall. The lighting combines with the verve of the dancers to intensify the vigour of the entire piece. It is concentrated, it is varied, it is uplifting.

Unspoken ran on December 4th and 5th at the Project Arts Centre.