The Sacred Body

Circa Brings High-Flying Dance to Campbell Hall

WORDS Ninette Paloma

The Greek word ákros, meaning "at the farthest extreme or topmost," forms the literal and philosophical base of the intrepid acrobat. Imagining the human body as a vessel of sheer possibility, the instinctive acrobat arches and flexes into abstract arrangements not because they should, but because they can.

On Wednesday, October 12, Brisbane’s contemporary rendition of this ancient art form hit Campbell Hall’s stage for an evening of elevated dance. Thanks to the programming prowess of UCSB Arts & Lectures, the troupe known as Circa brought their unique flavor of acrosport, adagio, and banquine – disciplines requiring unwavering trust as dancers are lifted, suspended, and vaulted through the air – to an intimate showing on the university’s campus.

Sacre, inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, preserved the essence of the original work’s thundering depiction of the mystery and great surge of a changing season. Even elements of Vaslav Nijinsky’s choreographic sections – the unified “cercles mystérieux” and the passionate fervor of the “danse de la terre” – were depicted brilliantly through a series of acrobatic canons and sprinting formations. But the work’s renegade roots opened the door for Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz and the 11-member cast to inject their own creative liberties, resulting in visually exquisite phrases carved out of human potential.
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Utilizing the classic two high (a skill that stacks performers in totem pole alignment), Lifschitz creates a riveting backdrop against a stark stage, building bodily towers of resilience spiked with palpable vulnerability. Strength has no gender as weight shuffles between the dancers, each one communicating through dramatic breath and quiet instinct. The audience, tense with anticipation, audibly gasps and exhales with each physical composition.
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After 65 entrancing minutes, muscles collapse and transformation, in consciousness and for this wondrous art form, prevails.