A unique performance of ‘Fulcrum,’ a contemporary dance piece created through the collaboration of dancer/choreographer Dylan Quinn, dancer Jenny Ecke and composer/singer Andy Garbi, took place in a secret location on the Irish border recently.

On Saturday September 15, after an informal drinks reception at the Kiltyclougher Community Centre, audience members boarded a bus to take them to the secret setting. Whispers of intrigue filled the air as they speculated about where they were going and what they were about to experience. After a short journey through winding country lanes, the bus parked at the edge of a field and the audience were led towards the set. As the evening sun faded away, it was replaced by grey clouds and a brisk wind which only added to the brooding atmosphere of the rural setting.

The simple stage was clever in its construction, straddling an unassuming river which marked the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. As audience members took their seat in the open air, they suddenly became aware of the two figures slowly intertwining on the stage as haunting vocal effects accompanied them. When the audience had settled, the performance officially began. The dancer’s movements were slow and purposeful, moving together and supporting each other as they created sculptural shapes with their bodies.

Throughout the performance, the pace increased and decreased in speed and intensity, with the dancers portraying the complexities of dependency and control through their powerfully expressive motions. The combination of vocal pieces, highly orchestrated music and the dramatic breath changing of the dancers complimented the emotionally charged movements. Towards the end of the piece, power and control was dramatically shifted from one dancer to the other, as dominance was shown through the contrast of intimate and aggressive movements.

The performance was powerful and challenging, allowing the audience to explore the piece through their own perceptions of the context. The overall experience, down to the highly considered setting and specific performance timings of sunset and sunrise, was an emotionally thought-provoking journey for the performers and audience alike.

Fulcrum is part of the development of a body of work by Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre, which seeks to establish this rural based company as one with an interesting voice and something unique to express.