Greek choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou is best known internationally as the creator of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Athens Olympics of 2004. Now, London dance festival Dance Umbrella presents a revival of his piece for two male performers, Primal Matter, originally conceived and performed in 2012 and, apparently, constantly developed since then.The piece involves two male figures, one clothed in black one naked. The clothed figure or character, performed by Papaioannou himself, is creator, parent, abuser, manipulator, carer. We meet him first, dispensing lumps of ‘primal matter’ which he uses as stepping stones to traverse the lengthy performing platform, one agonizing step at a time. This theme of taking difficult steps forward is exploited and developed throughout.
Then we meet the nude, performed by Michalis Theophanous, who emerges from behind a large wooden board that could be a canvas, could be a wall. He is innocent, subservient, open. He is the pre-Christian classical Greek nude, free of eroticism.
And so, for the next hour or so, the two figures engage and disengage, battle and surrender, create and destroy, until the climax of the piece where the two become one, or at least reach some kind of symbiosis, where the body of the ancient, heroic but damaged nude is supported on the legs of the modern, imperfect creator.
Papaioannou started his professional artistic life as a painter and comic-book artist and this informs his treatment of the nude, taking him through various incarnations from crucifixion through decapitated museum-piece and beyond. And the physical violence involved in creating these takes us to the point where the nude has lost his lower legs, and the artist substitutes his own. The piece finishes with the two taking their first faltering steps together.
The evening is never less than interesting and, at its climax, is thrilling and moving. It’s often witty and occasionally hilarious, though on the first night in London there were moments where it felt like the humour wasn’t reaching all of the audience. (Conservative London audiences? Maybe). The early, expositional part of the piece has repetitive sections where you might think that it might have been more interesting in the rehearsal studio than in front of an audience, but perhaps this is forgivable in a piece that is in continuing development. The physical virtuosity that lies behind the conjuring tricks that allow us to see limbs removed replaced and transplanted is worth the price of admission, and remains in the memory.
When I arrived at the venue, picked up my ticket and headed for my seat, I encountered a serious looking figure in black. Assuming he was front-of-house manager, I handed him my ticket, which he took and, after taking a breath, ripped it by precisely half an inch. It was almost beautiful. Thanks, Dimitris.
There’s so much to enjoy in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s version of Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST, choreographed by their Artistic Director, David Bintley, with a new score by Sally Beamish.