Embody the Void review: An uneven dance | Tiger Dublin Fringe

Embody the Void

Samuel Beckett Theatre

**

Simultaneous sensations of power and vulnerability motivate most performers. In Embody the Void, choreographer Alba Lorca and playwright Cristina Nunez have magnified their vulnerability by dancing naked and eschewing surety, rather than trusting past experience as performers to imbue depth and insight into their loosely structured choreography. But the potential power that they hold over the audience is betrayed by uncertain intentions. Instead, the planned sections reward most. With scraggy red wigs covering their faces, the pair embark on a slowly unfolding unison sequence that forefronts the sculptural above the dramatic. The overall unevenness is disappointing, because there are rare moments of eloquence amid the chaos. Towards the end, both performers draw us into their interior world as the cosy consonance of unison movement dissipates and gives way to concentrated individuality. It is one of several momentary pay-offs for their overall aesthetic bravery.