Debris
Company - Soliloquy / Premiere
In expectation of what will
Debris Company do with the writing of James Joyce, I remained
surprised and at the same time caught by this piece of art.
Mostly by the overall atmosphere of the performance that
has been causing me goose-bumps all the way to my subconscious.
Yet, in the first sequences I have sensed a very accurate
linkage
with its original story and its own background. Just as I
have once breathlessly read the pages of Molly Bloom´s monologue,
now I was caught up in the stream of consciousness, without
any break, explanation or clear coherence. At that time,
I
was carried by a fascinating rhythm that magically allowed
me to anticipate connections without being able to determine
accurately why is it that I was so impressed by the theatre
version of Soliloquy. I was pulled into the very same magic
- through a clear and energetically exact motion vocabulary
applied instead of words. And music, despite of its strong
expression, has not drowned out this delicate and challenging
format. The one who did not read Joyce but visits Soliloquy
by Debris Company should easily succeed to immerse deeper
while reading this chapter...
Festival Bratislava in movement / J. Viňarský, Choreographer
The Star of the Festival was Supposed to Be a Canadian Compagnie
Marie Chouinard.
But was It Really Them?
Debris Company - Dolcissime Sirene
...Debris Company daze:
The star of the night (and perhaps of the whole festival)
was Slovak Debris Company. Even tough, Jozef VLK, Stanislava
VLČEKOVÁ and Daniel RAČEK performed Dolcissime Sirene in
the same premises three weeks ago, this time the evening
brought a more mystic atmosphere and passed smoothly just
as a perfectly prepared wedding. Suddenly, the building of
the Slovak Broadcasting has experienced Renaissance grandeur,
lightness, and elegance. Debris Company has managed to mediate
such an experience that dance can indeed create - lets call
it daze...
SME Daily Newspaper / J. Kadlecová, Editor
It is Necessary to Speculate about Movement.
Debris Company - Dolcissime Sirene
"
Techniques are limiting". Risk is a kind of hope. It
brings a person to a new artistic testimony, which could
not be discovered if one is limited by a specific technique.
In Dolcissime Sirene, a lot is at risk as partners test balance,
boundaries of each other´s trust while walking over their
bodies and carrying one another in space. It is unpredictable
and therefore very attractive.
"
It is very important to speculate about the meaning of movement
in a word-less formation. We wanted to tell more than just
a story about emotions of two people. We tried to put it
in context of independence from wider socio-political matters..." /
Debris Company
SME Daily Newspaper
Silence Provocation
/ The theatre and Debris
...from a certain perspective of an unofficial scene in Slovakia,
I have found interesting the videos of Hubris/Debris Company
that I have seen. They seemed to me as a real alternative,
a true "other voice", unrelated to any official
stage. They open themselves towards what is done by modern
theatre of current period, i.e. towards music, sculpture,
dance and other fields of art. This is how "new theatre" could
also be defined, as openness to reality and words as well
as other areas of art. And at this point, I believe that
we know true alternative that exists - it is strong and
in addition it has many references to abroad, regardless
of political, social, and economic situation of these countries...
Teatro Magazine / from an interview with Jean-Michel Bruére,
the founder of International School of Stage arts FDM-Dropper
and Director of La Fabriks Theatre in Marseille
Debris Company - Hexen
Artistic feature of a wide-screen film-and-tulle "screen" dominated
that formed space between "the Earth and Heaven".
Differentiated performing plans thus served in details as
relationship situations of dance duets, trios, and quartets
along with situations comprising of artistic and magic compositions,
where witches´ Madonna of sufferance, their blue sphere of
hope, and finding of the portrait of "Dorian Gray" gave
natural impression with large dose of tension and internal
logic and dynamic. The scene of tearing "facial" mask
represented a unique stage element. Symbol of hypocrisy and
subsequent mockery "in situation" was a Director´s
delicacy of this introverted theatrical format. Dramaturgic
concentration and endless confidence in Contemporary Dance
with selected topic turned out as the axes of a multi-layered
story...
...Slovak Contemporary Dance has confirmed the rule that
if equivalent interpretation personalities meet on stage,
a provocative theatrical format will arise that is full of
secrets, dynamics, tenderness, humor and unrepeated dance
plasticity. This plasticity has preciously balanced between
fantasy fiction, real time production, and charged invisible
harmony of dancing characters. The dancers have been orderly
working with "their own" personal topic. Hexen
therefore did not become a psychosomatic confession of a
dancing author, but a celebration of theatre, where inner
character-building dynamics, taste and esthetics of involved
artists has been dominating...
Reflector Magazine / P. Maťo, Critic/Reviewer
Debris Company - Cosmidiot
Theatre has many forms. However Debris Company is a different
theatre than theatre that can rely on its history or tradition
in Slovak space-time. It is different than the one, where
story is crystallized from a flood of words and sentences,
to which we are used to. Cosmidiot uses its own vocabulary
and language. This is a language of motion, light, gestures,
and expression. Motion is connected to gesture, gesture
is enhanced by light, light under-paints expression, so
that pictures and visual compositions can arise and tell
a story. Story, which arises in a viewer´s head on a separate
basis. Theatre of metaphors and theatre of sign...
Should there exist a term for theatre purism, Cosmidiot would
fulfil this notion...
SVÚ News / B. Gindlová, curator
Dance Festival of Literal Inspiration - Brno, Česká republika
Debris Company - Soliloquy / Dolcissime Sirene.
... The very first performance of the festival, Soliloquy
of Slovak Debris Company referred to Joyce´s novel Ulysses.
A dancer and choreographer at the same time /Stanislava VLČEKOVÁ/
has performed an expressive and a very pleasantly approached
solo of distinct appeal. Direction and light design /Jozef
VLK/ have enriched this solo of another dimensions, such
as images screened on dancer´s costume. A careful and sensitive
work with light was characteristic for this performance...
... In Dolcissime Sirene, inspired by Ottavio Rinuccini´s
text, VLČEKOVÁ was joined by Daniel RAČEK in a role of dancer
and choreographer. Romantic motive /wedding/ and content
of this play was handled with remarkable motion language
and the way how both protagonists managed to react to each
other.
Both Slovak performances gave a very cohesive impression
and were highly communicative and free of any circumlocution.
...the most interesting to me was the very first evening
- Debris Company. During the performance, I had no time left
for thinking. And that is good, because usually a person
immediately thinks about what annoys him and looks for imperfections.
I had no chance to do so. I was simply sitting and watching
as if traveling in a train...
Taneční zóna - Dance Zone magazine / Michal Švanda, Critic/Reviewer
New Dramatic Communication
Debris Company is engaged with motion-dance theatre, action
art and performance. Their projects are always connected
with strong basis, original work, and adaptation. Soliloquy
arises from the last chapter of James Joyce´s novel Ulysses
Dolcissime Sirene /wedding and it is partly inspired by
texts of Ottavio Rinuccini and Plato´s idealism. Earlier
productions are strongly influenced by Samuel Beckett,
Franz Kafka, and adaptation of Knut Hamsun Hunger´s novel
is currently being prepared. Hidden in expressive, contrast,
sensitive, but also sharp and critical motions, is a strong
topic, testimony and opinion of authors - boundaries of
consciousness and unconsciousness, day and night, in which
we are combating for our place and existence. Performances
often express ambivalent values, doubts, relationship of
man and woman, study on identity issues, and historical
truth in close interconnection to present days. Similarly,
the protagonists are able to enthuse, be optimistic, enjoy
life with all that it brings. Debris Company is able to
connect music, motion, creative art and philosophy in a
sensitive and aesthetic manner. In their representation,
non-verbality of motion and music is converted into thought.
Body operates in an erotic sense, it is sensual but also
fragile or natural. Body formulates purpose and energy.
Its corporeality, bareness, and imperfection face technically
perfect, insentient instruments, props and produce no disharmony,
but synchronization, mutual reactions, and interconnection.
Beforehand defined intention and authors´ sensitivity for
detail and general context contribute to the success of
unique projects. Debris Company is still able to surprise,
discover new connections, all of this with professional
onset. Their production could be definitely classified
as multimedia, avant-garde stream enriching Slovak theatrical
scene for a longer period...
Vlna Magazine / D. Čiripová, Theatre Institute
...Debris Company projects
preciously combine universality of dramatic language, topics
and uniqueness of dramatic handwriting
and authors´ attitudes - nevertheless, high professionalism
of performers.
These are the words that can be used to define,
in general, beautiful dance duet Dolcisime sirene. Premiered
in 2007, the piece still belongs to recommended performances
of today´s Slovak dance and motion theatre. Project was included
in IETM Bratislava 2009 meeting and anthology DVD KIOsk Digital
Showcase New Slovak Independent Performing Arts that was
issued by the Slovak Theatre Institute...
Romana Maliti / Theatrologist, Theatre Institute
Text from the publication
of the Slovak National Gallery/Dramatic Institute:
Slovak Dramatic Stage Design:
... in 1991, group of performers Hubris/Debris based their
work on a different imagination. The group realized several
unique projects in Slovak theatre. Screaching Pipes of Nothingness
(1991), Ulysses (1992), Code QUTNXZY (1995), and Nobody Knows
(1996) were launched in found stokehold premises of a forgotten
swimming pool at Žižkova street in Bratislava. It was the
most distinct example of "theatre" in non-theatrical
premises in Slovakia. In fact, almost unmodified premises
- installations, where fractions, a second lasting "stories" were
performed determined the work to the point that its realization
can be classified as the line of dramatic alternative that
is designated as site specific. Projects were based on knowledge
available on the progress of modern dance, performance, and
installation arts. All inputs - visual, musical, sounds,
motion, were precise, rhythmical in time and place. Authors
and collaborators of the projects layered events happening
in the stokehold in a parallel consecutive manner, whilst
viewers composed entire work from what they were able to
capture. There is no center or focus of "action" in
such environment, it is changeable and shifts from one place
to another. The performance thus goes against illusionism
of real time and an actor, who is more of a performer than
a dancer, through its motions uncovers gradually the space
and expresses itself not by dance rhetoric, but by means
of "simple language" of motions and gestures. The
projects fulfilled the axioms of environmental theatre proclaimed
by Schechner on the level of text that "does not have
to represent the background nor objective of performance.
The text does not even have to exist at all."
Dagmar Poláčková / Curator
VICIOUS HEXES
It was on 30 October in A4 Bratislava´s stage of performing
arts, where I have experienced a theatre show where miraculous
things happened. Or rather it was a theatre with curious
energy. This theatre performance presents no social ideas
or social criticism, no false psychologism or formal art
for art. It is simply a theatre providing experience that
is shared among each other while bringing various feelings.
Or rather it is a theatre that will light up your latent
energy through its visual language of movements and gestures
aligned in a code of inner alphabet.
The first idea that crossed my mind was that this energy
ensues from the title itself HEXEN. Debris Company practices
witchcraft, literally. You will be evil-eyed by its strength
of schemed composition of moves and gestures and especially
by what can be expressed via its kinetic alphabet. And as
this is an alphabet of energy originating between sensuality
and non-sensuality as well as between sensuality of moving
dancers and that of sitting audience, it is almost impossible
to describe it. Indeed, dancers use no words and yet express
themselves. This is a fascinating feature of Contemporary
Theatre, where devalued written and spoken language of present
days is substituted by a language conceived by corporal body,
sounds and imagery. Indeed, it communicates.
Depicting of conflicts and thus allowing their suppression
has always been one of the functions of theatre. Activation
of unconscious images and archetypes may bring healing. And
Debris Company succeeds to fulfil this mission. Hexen is
based on conflict and tension on material level, i.e. in
movement techniques of individual dancers as well as in construction
of its choreography. And as choreography and motion of individual
dancers is very precise, it leads to the transformation of
this motion that is based upon tension and subsequent release
into non-material level. Audience thus perceives movement
of four bodies arranged in space and it is not mere admiration
of physical abilities, the show simultaneously allows interconnection
of artistic and emotional experience enriched with somewhat
that, in fact, cannot be named, an innermost essence of experience.
This experience offers no materialized relations that can
be, easily or hardly, designated with real attributes. On
the other hand, it gathers archetypal energy of basic contradiction
of feminine and masculine energy.
This unnameable essence is most likely a combination of features.
In Hexen, all makers were equally involved in the creative
process and present their voices which are not forced. Dancer
is a maker, not mere material. A dancer´s personal energetic
input is important in addition to its excellent physical
movement.
The entire balance of alchemistic mixture of features was
achieved through sound production that provides framework
rather than dictation and through unique and minimalistic
music composed by Jozef Vlk. Electronic rhythm along with
contrapuntistic, stringed and at same time minimalistic musical
motive is the key element of choreography of Stanka Vlčekova
and Daniel Raček and music.
The scene of Eva Rácová delimits horizontal space and thereby
forms two performing plans. The first plan can be called
real space presenting physical theatre of real movements,
contacts, and specific sensuality. The second plan could
perhaps be called "the other side" or "space
beyond" representing sophisticated contrapunctic plan
(which is in harmony with music and sounds), in which the
first plan is "depicted". However, it is not a
copy or imitation, it is rather a game of significances referring
to "real plan" directly demonstrated to audience,
where deeper context refers back to Michelangelos or El
Greco´s Pieta. ee
The reference to tri-dimensionality of the statue or two-dimensionality
of the painting relates with delimiting of horizon, i.e.
principle of scenic space as tableau. This modifies significantly
the meaning of sculptural configuration of dancers in specific
positions. It is not a purposeless use of stop-time of motion.
It is a punctual play with dynamics of body and space. Through
stiffening, i.e. projecting motions on painting that is also
applied in the second plan "framed plan" or "space
beyond", the authors achieve desired tension and rhythm,
fast and minimalistic movement of repeated elements suddenly
petrified in time and space. Stiffening as an element of
dance theatre has always brought motive of irritation, interruption,
and diversion form what is expected. Indeed, Hexen applies
this motive accurately and impressively. Imagine hip-twisting
by dancer standing on a single place or minimalistic movements
of hands reminding oriental hand motions or precise play
with the body´s gravity centre, equilibrium, and specified
tension referring to the element of Eastern martial arts
that can stop instantly as if being evil-eyed.
Horizontal frame displays another dimension. As it is filled
with half-transparent and back-lighted fabric it evolves
mysterious imagery of immaterial beings beyond the frame
and video-projection and thus a mystic effect of the third
plan is achieved. The third plan as borderline with the other
reality, on which movements are screened either time-delayed
motion or parallel movements from the first plan. The borderline,
where fire is inflamed, luminous ring moves representing
full moon or where smoke clouds are diffused.
Etymology of word Hexe (in German - witch) describes witch
as a being burnt at the stake between two worlds. Here and
out there. In the world of substance and the other world
that is impalpable. Not surprisingly, Hexen rhythm has practically
shamanistic dimension that could lead us to parallel universe.
Antonin Artaud would be happy of that.
Hexen could also depict misunderstanding and conflict between
what one desires to live and what one actually lives, i.e.
borderline between what is deemed as real and unreal, lines
represented by bodies and possibilities and impossibilities,
and how to cross over these boundaries. Sometimes it is possible
to cross the line, else it is impassable. Or is it all mere
appearance? One could be burnt on such stake.
Elixir characteristic for Debris is prepared of the most
up-to-date doses of humour, lightness, rhythm, tension, release,
and resignation on representation and interpretation. Vicious
hexes.
Salto Magazine / Martina Vánnayová, critic, dramaturgist
...evocative statements about the games played in personal
and social politics marked the choreography elegantly.
Very evocative. Different and enjoyable....
The Straits Times Life / Singapore
Dolcissime sirene
In the semi-darkness it appeared that the perfectness
of the form, sensitive harmony of bodies and dynamics of the
relationship on the stage are the assurance of a quality
work of art, which is evaporating, like the historic moment
of the wedding of two strong families...
The naturalness
of experience was helped by classical music chosen by the
creators, and everything had meaning also thanks to Beckett´s
quotation: "Firstly dance, then think. That is the natural
course of things." This has taken the wind from sails
of those who write history believing all is true. The only
thing which really matters in dance and history of mankind
is personal experience, not words.
Milan Zvada/festival Kiosk/ KOD Magazine
Vlk´s Witty Mono-Solitude
Jozef Vlk has been a spiritual father of an independent theatre
group called Debris Company for more than 17 years. I consider
a miracle that this independent company has not yet been
closed down. Despite the long-term financial super-diet from
the side of the state, the artists execute their projects
for the viewer who refuses to watch series about a "happy
health service" or a concrete maze of banal relationships.
The latest Vlk´s work called Mono is
an excursion to the lives of ordinary contemporaries who
regularly pay taxes
and get salaries reaching the amount of state support for "inadaptable" citizens.
They are neither optimistically tuned and successful political
privatisers from the 1990s nor actors who work in professional
consumerism. They are inferiority complex outsiders who watch
their privacy and human dignity. Stories from life, which
they originally depict, are their only communication code
in the real world of the every-day paradox. Tired Beauty
on Stilettos by Stanislava Vlčeková leaves total "obeisance" on
the bodies of her men. They hope they once will visit her
human den. Upside-down, she returns to the memories of dancing
waltz believing that forgotten Cinderella´s shoes will be
eventually returned to the place she has taken them from
by a sympathetic person. Phlegmatic Boy with Hands in the
Pockets by Emil Píš is a humble womanizer unable to lure
his prey sexually and show her his true heart beating under
the rags he wears as a protecting shield. Girl with a Camera
by Martina Lacová wants all parts of her body to be kept
in the album called The Perfect Woman. Under her dynamic
and affected girly curiosity a slumbering beast of prey is
hiding. Talking Skinny Neurotic in a Red T-shirt and Spangle
Pants by Daniel Raček is a caricature of his dashing body.
The obsession burns him and evokes an irresistible need to
undress his body until naked in order to show his human courage.
Martin Piterka imprisoned in the world of Imagination of
Infantile Outsider dances with all signs of man who stands
out of "picture" and "sound" . Jozef
Vlk with Stanislava Vlčeková and Peter Jaško created a stage
feature full of humour, wit and irony. Despite the closed
space for life and stereotyped mutual sniffing around" of
the characters, the production of Mono created plastic areas
charged with inner strength of theatrical tension and active
relief.
Peter Maťo/Pravda daily newspapers
Debris Company - Hexen
By its contents it examines the essence of man, his need
of love or encounter with others in any form. By the form
this choreography carries on in the style of the Debris Company:
the cast of the dancers of distinctive expression, precise
technique following the potential of contemporary dance,
thought-out visual idea and original music by contemporary
Slovak composer. Their message works without any casual connection,
the bearer of the significance here is the thoroughly built
atmosphere which can be called magical. They lead us to imaginary
timelessness where the only meaning of being is the unresisting
flowing in time, space, in others, but mainly in ourselves.
Julie Kočí: Debris Company (SK)/ Hexen
written for the Tanec Praha festival, divadlo Ponec, 13 June
2010
The Healing Pathos of the Slovak Debris Company
I don´t deny Nigel Charnock´s first high-minded movement
to cure people from depression. The Slovak group called Debris
was much more better in such curing in its magically-ironic
quartet entitled Hexen, with the choreography made by Stanislava
Vlčeková and Daniel Raček. Using magic of lights and dark
two enchanters were sending mysterious physical signs to
two men who were being cured (or initiated?). The physical
form, brought by the composition of pieta with the man lying
in the lap of the enchanter, was interwoven by numerous gentle
allusions of purifying movements. In today´s central-European
dance zone, the Slovaks are more and more an interesting
phenomenon - but it would be a topic for a longer story.
Nina Vangeli / theatre critic / Divadelní Noviny No. 15_2010
MONO / Is One Always Less than Enough?
The Debris Company is one of the few Slovak groups which
has been working continually. The style of the group, with
typical gesture work and the mimic expressions reaching extreme,
the hypnotic and seriously (and likeably) built-up dynamics
of the choreography based on the solidly connected partner
work. The performances of the Debris Company are characterised
by strong idea as the base for the physical work and the
ambition to leave the movement to face literature or succumb
to dramaturgy. In MONO the theme flashes from the final form
more naturally. A world of narcissuses is opened in front
of us, the world of lonely perfectness or perfect loneliness.
By the use of civil costumes and a few props / symbols a
new physical character is formed, based on playing with fetishes
and vanity.
The production of MONO moved the group into more extreme
and physically more demanding stages, sometimes even into
acrobatic levels and prevailing swiftness and precision.
Watching MONO one has a feeling of not being in Slovakia,
the country where almost none of the contemporary dance groups
has room and conditions for a continual work. Therefore,
in this case even one can mean more than enough.
Maja Hriešik / SALTO magazine
|
