Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Jody Sperling, one of the world’s leading choreographers, has been teaching young dancers in Bahrain some of the sizzling moves that have enthralled audiences during the Spring of Culture, writes Mai Al Khatib.
Her troupe mesmerised a thrilled crowd with its visual kinetic theatre, fusing experimental dance and circus acts along with fabric and light spectacles at the Cultural Hall last Thursday evening. The performance paid homage to Loïe Fuller, a pioneer in both early modern dance in the 1900s and theatrical lighting techniques.
Jody, on her first overseas tour since the birth of her seven-month-old daughter Ev, said: “I think that dance teaches you how to relate to other people in a peaceful way and I believe there would be more harmony in the world if more people studied dance. When teaching children I use imagery but with adults I teach them through choreography.”
The founder of Time Lapse Dance Company in New York started a special pre-show class for children aged two to 16, with a variety of basic steps highlighting turbulence, the act’s premier showpiece featuring coloured fabric and spinning in unison.
She said: “The idea of turbulence is that when we are in motion we are constantly creating ripples, waves and wakes that are spiralling at ease around our bodies.
“The fabric is a tool to help visualise the pattern of air disturbance and the currents that are so dynamic. So, I feel that if we can tune into the energetic forces we can become more receptive and powerful in shaping them.
“Whether you are a dancer or just somebody getting up and speaking or just walking down the street, if you are aware of your relationship with the space and the air around you then you can become a more dynamic and powerful person.”
St Christopher’s School classmates Sarah Ann Taylor and Charis Britton, both 15, enjoyed the class and described the experience as valuable and memorable. Sarah, a keen dancer from A’Ali, said: “I loved playing with the scarves and I found its free-style helped me explore my emotions and express myself.”
