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Sydney Morning Herald
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
What becomes of the broken-hearted? This show breaks it to you gently
What's it like to have your heart broken? It's a bit like looking into the face of a predator. Things get physical very quickly. Your body is flooded with a fear hormone in a process commonly known as 'fight or flight'. Weeks or even months later, in those very rare cases where heartbreak changes the shape of someone's heart, some people will literally die of a broken heart. New Zealand writer and performer Karin McCracken was so fascinated by this that she made a show called Heartbreak Hotel with creative partner Eleanor Bishop, co-director of their contemporary theatre company, EBKM. Part of this year's Rising festival, it is the most affirming, original and compassionate exploration of heartbreak you'll likely ever see. McCracken plays the show's hero, who explains the science of heartbreak to us and sings classic break-up songs. The old myths start being toppled in the first five minutes as she repeats advice from her mother: 'Exercise. Try something new … but the idea that time is a great healer should not be used, because for many people time stops … and it's a terrible thing,' she tells the audience. McCracken, standing behind a synth (something new) on a stage lit like a shabby club, then launches into a cover of the Elvis song that lends the show its title. Later, there'll be other covers, from It's All Coming Back to Me Now by Celine Dion and Dreams by the Cranberries. The show immerses us — with utmost tenderness — in the story of a painful breakup. As this story unfolds, Simon Leary plays every other character: a bad Tinder date, a wise doctor, a supermarket employee, the best friend, and finally, the ex-boyfriend, whose invisible presence has haunted the show right up until the point when we finally meet him. McCracken began writing the show in 2021 when it felt, to her, as if the whole world was heartbroken. COVID provided a timely moment to explore the corners of grief. She and Bishop 'wanted to make a show about heartbreak that was useful,' she says. They were interested in a contradiction: how we have a huge pool of heartbreak stories to draw from, but often these books, movies and songs are built from the same 'four ideas' about how to heal. Let time soothe you. Meet someone new. Drink water and go running. Find a hobby. Her own experiences of heartbreak had led McCracken to think about whether the received wisdom was inadequate, so she returned to first principles. 'I'd been thinking [about] what happens to your body, because anyone who goes through a heartbreak will tell you that it's a huge period of change, and often, you get sick or you feel really unwell. A lot of people lose weight or look different.' She became fascinated by the physiology of a separation, from the minute you get dumped, to the weeks, months and years afterwards. What she found is consistently intriguing. In the first moments — when you're still sitting with the person who was, seconds ago, your long-term boyfriend — the body is flooded with norepinephrine, the fear hormone. This kicks off a cascading response from white blood cells, RNA (ribonucleic acid), and inflammatory proteins. Loading 'Our bodies think we can literally outrun or fight off a break-up at this point,' says McCracken, because physiologically we can't tell the difference between being dumped and, say, being attacked by a bear. The most startling thing is that the RNA that protects us from viruses is also stood down to funnel resources towards fighting the bear. Usually 'stars of the show', they now clog the system. McCracken points out the absurdity of this situation, which might last for months. 'So we're primed to punch through a wall, but more vulnerable to flu.' Weeks later the body is in its 'resignation' stage; 'if someone's going to die of heartbreak, it's in this phase,' says McCracken. There is even a rare syndrome whereby 'someone is under so much emotional distress their heart literally changes shape'. The show is carefully researched and, on one level, is a masterclass in science communication. It's also wildly entertaining. The challenge, says McCracken, was to bridge the gap between hard science, social science, popular accounts of heartbreak and 'anecdata'. The stage design adds clarity. Every time we return to the science, informative section titles flow along 21 LED panels behind McCracken, like neon headlines in Times Square. This light installation gives the show the lingering texture of a Las Vegas chapel at night. 'There is something relentless about neon to me, which feels appropriate for heartbreak,' she says. The power of Heartbreak Hotel also lies in the fact that it's drawn from experience; McCracken's vulnerability holds space for ours. I winced when McCracken's 'I love you' is met with Leary's pristine 'you too'. We have likely all been McCracken (or Leary) in this exchange. The show is serious about heartbreak, but it's also warm and silly. 'Some of the things we all do [in a break-up] are totally unhinged, so there should be a space where you can laugh about that,' says McCracken. 'Or, a space where you can manage to take the bits that are funny as funny, because there are plenty of bits that aren't.' Humour also underpins the pastoral care McCracken and Leary provide for the audience. Their performance is so naturalistic that audiences often mistake them for the couple they play. But they're actually long-term friends and collaborators. 'I love Simon on stage because he can drop into a character really easily and he also knows how to be with an audience,' McCracken says.
The Age
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
What becomes of the broken-hearted? This show breaks it to you gently
What's it like to have your heart broken? It's a bit like looking into the face of a predator. Things get physical very quickly. Your body is flooded with a fear hormone in a process commonly known as 'fight or flight'. Weeks or even months later, in those very rare cases where heartbreak changes the shape of someone's heart, some people will literally die of a broken heart. New Zealand writer and performer Karin McCracken was so fascinated by this that she made a show called Heartbreak Hotel with creative partner Eleanor Bishop, co-director of their contemporary theatre company, EBKM. Part of this year's Rising festival, it is the most affirming, original and compassionate exploration of heartbreak you'll likely ever see. McCracken plays the show's hero, who explains the science of heartbreak to us and sings classic break-up songs. The old myths start being toppled in the first five minutes as she repeats advice from her mother: 'Exercise. Try something new … but the idea that time is a great healer should not be used, because for many people time stops … and it's a terrible thing,' she tells the audience. McCracken, standing behind a synth (something new) on a stage lit like a shabby club, then launches into a cover of the Elvis song that lends the show its title. Later, there'll be other covers, from It's All Coming Back to Me Now by Celine Dion and Dreams by the Cranberries. The show immerses us — with utmost tenderness — in the story of a painful breakup. As this story unfolds, Simon Leary plays every other character: a bad Tinder date, a wise doctor, a supermarket employee, the best friend, and finally, the ex-boyfriend, whose invisible presence has haunted the show right up until the point when we finally meet him. McCracken began writing the show in 2021 when it felt, to her, as if the whole world was heartbroken. COVID provided a timely moment to explore the corners of grief. She and Bishop 'wanted to make a show about heartbreak that was useful,' she says. They were interested in a contradiction: how we have a huge pool of heartbreak stories to draw from, but often these books, movies and songs are built from the same 'four ideas' about how to heal. Let time soothe you. Meet someone new. Drink water and go running. Find a hobby. Her own experiences of heartbreak had led McCracken to think about whether the received wisdom was inadequate, so she returned to first principles. 'I'd been thinking [about] what happens to your body, because anyone who goes through a heartbreak will tell you that it's a huge period of change, and often, you get sick or you feel really unwell. A lot of people lose weight or look different.' She became fascinated by the physiology of a separation, from the minute you get dumped, to the weeks, months and years afterwards. What she found is consistently intriguing. In the first moments — when you're still sitting with the person who was, seconds ago, your long-term boyfriend — the body is flooded with norepinephrine, the fear hormone. This kicks off a cascading response from white blood cells, RNA (ribonucleic acid), and inflammatory proteins. Loading 'Our bodies think we can literally outrun or fight off a break-up at this point,' says McCracken, because physiologically we can't tell the difference between being dumped and, say, being attacked by a bear. The most startling thing is that the RNA that protects us from viruses is also stood down to funnel resources towards fighting the bear. Usually 'stars of the show', they now clog the system. McCracken points out the absurdity of this situation, which might last for months. 'So we're primed to punch through a wall, but more vulnerable to flu.' Weeks later the body is in its 'resignation' stage; 'if someone's going to die of heartbreak, it's in this phase,' says McCracken. There is even a rare syndrome whereby 'someone is under so much emotional distress their heart literally changes shape'. The show is carefully researched and, on one level, is a masterclass in science communication. It's also wildly entertaining. The challenge, says McCracken, was to bridge the gap between hard science, social science, popular accounts of heartbreak and 'anecdata'. The stage design adds clarity. Every time we return to the science, informative section titles flow along 21 LED panels behind McCracken, like neon headlines in Times Square. This light installation gives the show the lingering texture of a Las Vegas chapel at night. 'There is something relentless about neon to me, which feels appropriate for heartbreak,' she says. The power of Heartbreak Hotel also lies in the fact that it's drawn from experience; McCracken's vulnerability holds space for ours. I winced when McCracken's 'I love you' is met with Leary's pristine 'you too'. We have likely all been McCracken (or Leary) in this exchange. The show is serious about heartbreak, but it's also warm and silly. 'Some of the things we all do [in a break-up] are totally unhinged, so there should be a space where you can laugh about that,' says McCracken. 'Or, a space where you can manage to take the bits that are funny as funny, because there are plenty of bits that aren't.' Humour also underpins the pastoral care McCracken and Leary provide for the audience. Their performance is so naturalistic that audiences often mistake them for the couple they play. But they're actually long-term friends and collaborators. 'I love Simon on stage because he can drop into a character really easily and he also knows how to be with an audience,' McCracken says.
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
TikToker who missed his flight by dancing inspires new airport trend
While this dancer's airport antics may have caused him to miss his flight, it has sparked off a viral TikTok dance trend that's being embraced by everyone. If the question is how far would you go for views, influencer Blake McGrath's answer is: to the airport and no further. The dancer and choreographer has gone viral for throwing his shoe in the air, pirouetting, and performing flawless aerials (all in a row, mind you) to Celine Dion's 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now' at an airport. McGrath's airport antics have since sparked off a TikTok trend that only seems to be gaining more steam as the months pass. After posting his airport dance video to the social media platform in September last year, the influencer has become synonymous with the travel trend, with several airports around the world commenting on McGrath's video and inviting him to dance at their terminals. The dancer's journey to unprecedented TikTok-trend-fame began last autumn, when he was waiting for his flight at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas, Texas. Suddenly recalling the time one of his friends filmed himself dancing at an airport, McGrath was struck with inspiration and decided to — as the boomers say — get down with it. The result? A 21-second video that has since been viewed over 6.7 million times with over 12.2k comments and has sparked off a flurry of airport dance videos. Speaking to CNN Travel, McGrath said: 'The freestyle took over, and I kind of started jumping and flipping and flying.' The video was filmed by McGrath's assistant, who then cautioned they were getting late for their flight. The duo subsequently made a dash for the gates and were told 'Oh, yeah, it just closed. The flight's left.' While this may not have been the ideal outcome, McGrath didn't let his efforts go to waste. Titling the clip 'Slayed this Tiktok but missed my flight,' with the caption, 'Was it worth it????', McGrath posted the dance to TikTok — and nothing has been the same since. The creator's video gained traction straight away (who can resist Dion's famed 1996 power ballad?) and ever since then, he has reproduced his flawless moves at multiple airports across the world. McGrath's viral TikTok has resulted in a plethora of copycat videos with people, especially dancers, replicating his moves at various airports around the globe as they blast Dion's soulful smash-hit in the terminals. Celine Dion even reposted McGrath's original video, which the dancer thought was 'really cool'. The creator has also twirled his way around airports on a few other songs, experimenting with tracks like Whitney Houston's Run to You. McGrath, still amazed at how quickly the dance trend has grown and been embraced on social media, said: 'It has just sparked so much joy all around the world, which is really cool.' He also hasn't heard of anyone else missing their flights due to these airport shenanigans. 'I think people are more time-sensitive than I am. That's not one of my gifts. I usually leave things right to the last minute.' Talking to CNN Travel about the safety of his airport theatrics, the choreographer said: 'I always use my peripheral vision. I have done, at this point, probably 50 airport videos and recordings … And I have never once gotten close to hitting or kicking anybody.' While McGrath doesn't explicitly ask fellow travellers for permission or warn people before he starts dancing and recording, he is cognisant of people's need and right to their privacy, and says he will always respect others and stop immediately if asked. On the contrary, the dancer has been awarded with a standing ovation for his moves at the Tulsa International Airport in Oklahoma. McGrath's only hope from his viral dance trend is that it lets people 'be kids when we feel like it.' The dancer says: 'I think there's enough negative stuff in the world going on that, if I can use my gift to spark a trend and create joy and let people feel light and love, that's kind of my purpose. So I'm gonna keep rolling on the suitcase for a little while longer.' While McGrath's might be the most popular rendition, he isn't the only one making shapes in an airport. Several other TikTokers have embraced the trend:
CNN
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
He danced in the airport and missed his flight. Then he inspired a TikTok travel trend
A shoe hurled into the air. A traveler pirouetting and somersaulting through the departure gate. The voice of Celine Dion reverberating across the terminal. It's not a scene you often come across at the airport — or at least, it didn't used to be. But on social media at least, dancing at an airport has become the travel trend du jour, with travelers across the world spinning through baggage claim, whirling through terminals and rolling through airport gates, garnering millions of online views in the process. It all began last fall, when dancer and choreographer Blake McGrath was waiting for a flight at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas, Texas. McGrath recalled the one time his friend filmed himself dancing at the airport. Suddenly inspired, McGrath decided to take to his feet and 'roll out on my suitcase and throw off my shoe and do some turns.' McGrath had the ideal soundtrack in mind: Celine Dion's track 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now.' It's the perfect choice, says McGrath, because this is 'a dramatic, lyrical song that everybody knows.' The resulting 21-second video (filmed by McGrath's assistant) shows the dancer rolling into view on his wheelie suitcase, neck pillow attached. He throws off his sneaker in order to pirouette multiple times, before dramatically rolling around on the floor as Dion's 1996 power ballad crescendos. 'The freestyle took over, and I kind of started jumping and flipping and flying,' McGrath tells CNN Travel now. McGrath debated posting the video to TikTok and Instagram right away, but then his assistant looked at the time and cautioned they should get to their gate. 'So we run to our gate, and they're like, 'Oh, yeah, it just closed. The flight's left,'' recalls McGrath. This was not the ideal outcome. But when McGrath eventually posted the dance to TikTok, he aptly titled the video: 'Slayed this Tiktok but missed my flight,' with the caption, 'Was it worth it????' The internet voted a resounding 'yes' — McGrath's airport dancing video started gaining traction right away. Cut to today and the video's been viewed 6.7 million times and counting. The dance has become McGrath's signature, and he's replicated the moves — with a few twists here and there – at other airports on multiple occasions. McGrath's also sparked a slew of copycat videos, with dancers across the globe blasting Celine Dion as they twirl their way through the terminal. McGrath, who runs a mentorship project called the Blake McGrath Mentorship Program, is particularly pleased when he sees kids embracing the trend. He even helped one young dancer by retrieving her shoe. He's got an as-yet-unannounced airline partnership in the pipeline. Airports across the globe regularly comment on McGrath's viral videos, encouraging him to come and dance at their airport — including Amsterdam Schipol Airport, where an official commented on one of his TikTok posts, saying, 'Sooo, when are you travelling to Amsterdam?' That's despite the fact the dancer isn't necessarily following airport etiquette during the dance — he leaves his suitcase unattended in order to continue the routine. A spokesperson from Amsterdam Schipol Airport told CNN Travel the airport's staff members 'appreciate the positivity and creativity' shared by McGrath. 'He is always welcome at Schiphol,' said the Amsterdam spokesperson of McGrath. 'As for other travelers, they are always welcome to dance a little at our airport, too!' The unofficial airport dance anthem remains 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now,' (Celine Dion reposted the original video — something McGrath thought was 'really cool') though McGrath's also experimented with other soundtracks for his routine, including 'Run to You' by Whitney Houston. McGrath can't quite believe how the trend's grown and the way it's been embraced online. 'It has just has sparked so much joy all around the world, which is really cool,' he says. And while lots of people have followed in McGrath's footsteps, he's reassured that — so far — he hasn't heard of anyone else missing their flight as a result. 'I think people are more time-sensitive than I am,' says McGrath. 'That's not one of my gifts. I usually leave things right to the last minute.' So why exactly has the airport dancing trend taken off on TikTok? Perhaps it's the impressive dance skills on show. Or the until-now-untapped viral potential of Celine Dion's power ballad. Or just the contrast between the mundanity of the airport and the theatrics of the dance — while the videos garner millions of views online, travelers in the background of McGrath's videos usually don't bat an eyelid at his pirouettes. Most don't even look up from their cell phones. While the whole shoe-throwing moment might look like a hazard-in-the-making for airport goers, McGrath stresses that safety is key and he remains conscious of his fellow travelers and his surroundings throughout his performance. 'I always use my peripheral vision,' McGrath says. 'I have done, at this point, probably 50 airport videos and recordings … And I have never once gotten close to hitting or kicking anybody.' McGrath doesn't ask for permission or warn people before he starts dancing, but he says he'll always respect others' privacy and perspective. If anyone asks him to stop, he'd halt the moves right away. On the flip side, sometimes fellow travelers are totally engrossed in his routine — and even take the time to applaud afterwards. On one occasion, at Tulsa International Airport in Oklahoma, McGrath was awarded with a standing ovation. For McGrath and his fellow airport dancers, some of the joy of the trend lies in the unpredictability of the airport environment. Take TikTok user Taylor Hamm's airport dancing video, for example, in which a nonplussed airport janitor directly walks through her frame. This moment was 'totally unexpected,' Hamm tells CNN Travel. Hamm was at San Antonio International Airport in Texas at 6 a.m. when she decided to hit play on 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now' and got twirling. She was traveling with friends who cheered her on, and recorded the moment. 'There was a stewardess walking by and she was like, 'It is six in the morning, like, what are you doing?'' recalls Hamm, laughing. Hamm suggests that for social media users, the appeal of the trend lies partly in the potential risk factor of dancers being so vulnerable and expressive in public. Hamm sums up the thoughts some people must have: 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe they're doing that in front of all these people.' But dancers, points out Hamm, 'like to have an audience.' Being performative in public is 'just in our nature.' It's the same reason why she didn't bat an eyelid about rolling around on the airport floor; that's 'just a dance thing,' she says. On TikTok, she says, 'Everybody was mentioning the germs.' 'I know airports are, like, known to be not the cleanest, but honestly, dance floors are probably not that much cleaner,' says Hamm. For a professional dancer like Hamm, the main appeal of the trend stems from embracing McGrath's choreography. 'The turns and the jumps and the flips … it's a fun challenge for us as dancers to try these turns and tricks,' she explains. If McGrath's airport dance is a 'challenge' for trained dancers, you might assume it'd be off limits for the non-dancers of the world. But you'd be wrong. The trend's been embraced by people the world over — including those armed only with a love of movement and a lack of embarrassment. Take photographer and non-dancer Saindy Pyles, who recently took to her feet at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. Pyles had spent weeks admiring airport dances on her TikTok feed, and when she arrived at the airport she hoped she might catch a dancer in the wild. 'I think it's the skill I really love,' she tells CNN Travel. 'And at the airport, why not? I mean, everybody's just so go, go, go, go. So it's really cool just to sit there and kind of watch them have a little bit of fun before their next flight.' Pyles' goal that day at Hartsfield-Jackson International was 'catching the shoe of someone doing the dance.' But when she arrived at the gate, there was no sign of any sneakers flying through the air. No sound of Celine Dion. Pyles was undeterred. 'Since I really didn't see anything, I'm like, 'Let me do one,'' she recalls. 'So, I had my husband video me. He did not know what I was trying to get him to do, and he was slightly embarrassed, honestly.' Pyles shrugged off her husband's discomfort. She loved every moment of the experience. 'I was excited that I was doing it,' she says. 'It definitely brought me joy. I love to dance… doing it at the airport was new, definitely new, but it was fun. I loved it.' For Pyles, the airport dance trend is a reminder to 'slow down and take in the scene a little bit' even in the often stressful environment of the airport. 'That's what it says to me,' she says. 'Slow down, enjoy the moments, and have a little bit of fun and dance like nobody's watching.' Hamm agrees with this take. She's prone to flight anxiety and found dancing at the airport helped ease her nerves. 'Dancing and getting a little movement at the beginning of your day always makes it better,' she says. 'It just makes it a little more unserious.' As for McGrath, he hopes the trend encourages all of us to 'be kids when we feel like it.' He's happy that spontaneous airport dancing has become his unlikely signature. 'I think there's enough negative stuff in the world going on that, if I can use my gift to spark a trend and create joy and let people feel light and love, that's kind of my purpose,' McGrath says. 'So I'm gonna keep rolling on the suitcase for a little while longer.'
Washington Post
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
One man's viral airport dance inspires routines around the world
Blake McGrath has danced all over: in his living room, lawn, local grocery stores, concert stages, television sets, in the movies. And, perhaps most visibly of late, the airport. A professional dancer for decades, McGrath felt inspired when he got to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport last fall for a work trip. He remembered a friend's dance at an airport years earlier, so he decided to try his own, set to a clip from a 'really dramatic song' — Celine Dion's 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now.' His assistant filmed it for social media. The 20-second video went viral with millions of views.
