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Scotsman
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe dance physical theatre reviews through warm temperatures
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... through warm temperatures ★★★★ Dance Base (Venue 22) until 24 August The slow place and low lighting of this newly extended work by choreographer Mele Broomes could so easily have given it a soporific quality. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. The soothing sense of calm it evokes has the complete opposite effect, drawing us ever closer with choreography and sound that demands our attention. Broomes' has a back catalogue of interesting works to her name, including the excellent VOID and Grin, and this builds on that legacy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad through warm temperatures | Brian Hartley The subject matter may change, but her exploration of the African and Caribbean diasporic experience remains strong. For through warm temperatures, Broomes turns her attention to the healing qualities of castor oil. An unlikely topic for a work of contemporary dance maybe, but one which bears subtle fruit. The piece opens with Broomes' skin being lovingly coated in oil by fellow-performer Salma Francoise, until it takes on a shining, supple quality. While the oil itself lies at the centre (as the chanting of 'Seed, bean, oil' testifies), there is something deeper at play here. Oil can only be administered by hands, our own or another's, and the care that entails is the show's beating heart. With talented cellist Simone Seales' providing live music and an atmospheric electronic soundscape, the dancers deliver a dynamic mix of sharp, angular moves and languid stretches. Originally developed with three performers, the piece has evolved into something larger, yet still retains its intimacy. Kimberly Mandindo, KJ Clarke-Davis, Marios Ento-Engkolo and MC Laffitte (and, of course, Broomes herself) each have a compelling presence, whether they're coming together as an ensemble, or performing short solos and duets. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's unclear what the motivation behind their pointing fingers towards the audience is: a call for our own self-care, or accusation for wrongs done? Perhaps it's up to us to decide. Kelly Apter Kathryn Gordon: A Journey of Flight ★★★★ Dance Base (Venue 22) until 17 August The migratory journey undertaken by birds each year is long and punishing. Yet there's also something magical about the way, like people, they feel compelled to return to a place of familiarity. In her equally magical new work, choreographer Kathryn Gordon takes bird migration as her starting point, but it's clear the piece extends beyond our feathered friends. Gordon hails from Shetland, moved away, then felt the draw to return. Watching many species of birds do likewise, then nest in the cliffs near her home, she created A Journey of Flight - a visually striking cross-artform piece that works on so many levels. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The stage set alone is worthy of gallery exhibition, with reams of delicate white fabric hanging above the dancers (apparently made from the underlay of Shetland's windfarm development). Onto it, the beautiful designs of Glasgow-based artist Alison Piper are projected, filling the space with shimmering light. Scattered across the floor, a sea of paper aeroplanes lay tantalisingly, just waiting to be thrown. Standing to one side, Jenny Sturgeon acts as both live musician and foley artist, building a gorgeous cloak of sound to wrap the performers in. Her soft, ethereal vocals, gentle string-plucking, and crunching sounds give life to the visuals and provide the perfect accompaniment to movement. In amongst all this curated beauty, contemporary dancers Jorja Follina and Gordon herself bring a sense of spirited abandon. Throwing the aforementioned aeroplanes playfully into the audience, they make an instant connection with each other and us. Pulled up and over, their white shirts take on a wing-like quality, echoing the birds projected around the room. Other bird movements follow, as hands interlock and bodies dip, but mimicry isn't the goal here. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Closing the gap between people and nature, Gordon's choreography captures a sense of shared endeavour and a desire to belong. Kelly Apter Delusional - I Killed A Man ★★★ Summerhall (Venue 26) until 24 August Trans circus artist Diana Salles has not literally killed a man: the title of her solo show refers to the man she used to be before she transitioned. Salles pours the emotional turmoil of that experience into her festival debut. It is an impressive showcase of Salles diverse array of physical talents, but it is also incoherent and unsatisfying. Over 50 minutes, under Firenza Guidi's direction, Salles performs a series of discrete acts. She strips out of a gothic funeral dress and glides gracefully on silks of deep red. She soars like a swan in a billowing white robe on the hoop. She strikes stark poses in a pink PVC dress under a shower of red petals. Add in a vibrant lighting and a thumping soundtrack, and this is a theatrically stunning show. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It suffers from a lack of flow and feeling, though. The individual sections are impressive, but they are inarticulate and detached. There is a lack of flow and feeling. The audience is kept at arm's length and the show never adds up to more than the sum of its parts. At the end, Salles speaks movingly about how transitioning from one identity to another is a universal experience, one that we all go through. It is a shame that stirring sentiment does not come through more in her show. Fergus Morgan Salem - The Witch Trials of Today ★★ Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236) until 16 August It's something of a stretch to equate viral bullying in the 21st century with the mass execution of innocent victims in the Salem witch trials, but the term 'witch hunt' can be applied in many situations. In this case, it concerns the social media pile-on among a friendship group following a night out where drinks are spiked and infidelities are presumed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad An ensemble of twelve young women enact this scenario mainly through mediocre choreography, swirling in sparkly mini-dresses or stomping around in witchy hooded capes to represent the ferocious pack mentality which can amplify a lie and drive a wedge through relationships with frightening speed. Fiona Shepherd
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Yahoo
Local nonprofit raises awareness for victims of impaired drivers
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – In 2007, Kimela Tiderman-Alcorn was waiting for her husband, Michael, and her 12-year-old son, Justin to get home from a baseball game. But, they never made it. 'A drunk driver crossed the median on I-44 and hit them head on and killed both of them instantly,' said Tiderman-Alcorn. 'It was terrible.' The driver, along with the passenger, were also killed. LOCAL NEWS: Mother of pregnant teen allegedly shot and killed by boyfriend speaks out 'I don't think there's an excuse for it. Drink and do whatever you want, but don't get behind the wheel of a car,' said Tiderman-Alcorn. 'Honestly, that's the main thing I fight for, is to make something good come out of a bad situation.' She's one of dozens of families bonded by this unimaginable devastation. They're part of the nonprofit group VOID: Victims of Impaired Drivers. They spent Monday morning sharing their stories with lawmakers, hoping to get stricter DUI laws in Oklahoma. 'We believe that we must do everything in our power to eradicate impaired driving by creating the strongest deterrence possible. We must stop mistaking leniency for compassion,' said Jeff Murrow, the founder of VOID. These are the DUI-related bills on the table this session: HB 1222: Requires a threat assessment seen by a judge prior to bond for 2nd and subsequent DUI charges HB 2369: Extends ABLE licensed bartender rules and standards to include services provided on unlicensed premises HB 1933: Prohibits the sale of Nitrous Oxide for any non-medical (recreational) purposes SB 518: Requires 'medical marijuana' products have a warning label regarding impaired driving, the same as other medications SB 54: Modify aggravated DUI to include manner of use of the vehicle. Strengthen consequences to discourage recidivism LOCAL NEWS: Inmate walks away from Oklahoma City correction center Senator Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, is the author of SB 54. 'We're going to put an aggravated offense. We're going to tie some things to the DUI,' said Weaver. 'I can't bring your child back, or your loved one back, or I can't solve your injury today. But one thing I can do is I can take on tomorrow.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
28-01-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘Devastated by war': Ukraine's battle scars
Vic Bákin, a self-taught photographer based in Kyiv, has made images of Ukrainian youth for years, focusing on queer communities and subcultures. When war came to Ukraine the tone of the project changed. Some of these subjects would now be enlisted to fight. 'The process of making the palm-sized prints became, for me, a contemplative search for meaning in a wartime reality,' he says. A new book combines photographs from Bákin's archive with recent images made in war-torn areas, all printed in a makeshift darkroom in his apartment. Epitome by Vic Bákin is available from VOID Vic Bákin: 'In the first weeks after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kyiv region, the first place I visited was Horenka, a village to the north-west of Kyiv that was severely damaged by the invasion. Here, as well as in Irpin, Bucha and Moschun, the bloody battle of Kyiv took place. The first person I encountered was a man whose entire house was destroyed by Russian bombs. He lived in a shed with his dog and was raking up the rubble that's left of his house. He showed me his Kiev 60 camera' 'This photograph was shot in Velyka Dymerka, Kyiv region, in June after the withdrawal of Russian troops. It shows one of the thousands of Ukrainian houses destroyed by Russian bombs and one of the only few I used in the Epitome book. Despite shooting rolls and rolls of film of houses devastated by war, my personal goal was to convey the feeling of devastation and loss through other imagery' 'Deteriorated log wall used as a bullet stopper. It is severely damaged at the height of where the heart and the head would be. I made this photograph at an open-air shooting gallery in the middle of Trukhaniv woods. This young man with a trident tattoo appears a few times in the book' 'I brought these flowers back to my home studio from one of my trips to photograph. Being one of the biggest exporters of sunflower oil worldwide, the sunflower is one of the national symbols of Ukraine. The idea of sunflower seeds sprouting out from the pockets of dead enemy bodies became popular after a viral video about a brave civilian woman' 'For some reason, storks are the symbol of family well-being in Ukraine. This felt, for me, like a life-affirming moment; me being stared at by the storks and them being stared back at by me. This image was shot near Bohdanivka in the early summer, after the defeat and withdrawal of Russian troops from the region. At this time people began to return to their homes, some of which were destroyed' 'Pasha and Ruslan, a couple I photographed in 2023 in their temporary home in Kyiv. In 2022 they both fled the war, one from Donetsk region, the other from the city of Kharkiv. I handprinted this piece. After a few days of staying on my table, it took on this cold greyish tone. In the Epitome book this picture was placed alongside images of imploding flames and fires and exploding landscapes' 'Road and a pond as seen from the Kyiv-Lviv train window when I was travelling home. I made this photograph when Russia annexed Crimea and invaded Donbas. When the Russian invasion started, all the photo shops closed, so I used the same photo fixer mixture until it was exhausted. Printed in 2022, this was accidentally bruised with the brown spots – and one of the first pictures that visually shaped the project. This landscape was seen by thousands if not millions, as it was one of the busiest routes for people escaping the war' 'Sasha was born and raised in Mariupol, Donetsk region, Ukraine. His mother survived the occupation in Irpin. His father was listed dead for some time due to a mistake, but did survive the horrors of Mariupol. I made this photograph way before, in the summer of 2020. I first printed it in 2023 after I found it in my archive. Since then it has become one of the most recognisable pictures of the project. The unusual crop is informed by my interest in his stare, not his identity. Later, his skull features became the cover for the book' 'I was photographing nature in the Chernihiv region near Desna River in the winter of 2021, before the invasion. Later in 2022, when checking the virtual occupation map, I realised that the birch wood I photographed was roughly on the same territory where Russians were stopped by AFU before being forced to withdraw' 'While strolling through Kyiv and its outskirts, I encountered a big, rotten pile of chairs that stood there like a sculpture. I immediately found an emotional connection to this object: the way this structure combined both chaos and fragile beauty. As soon as I took the first picture it started raining. I made a few quick frames and left the scene' 'Valera is now serving in an undisclosed brigade of the AFU. Recently, in the autumn of 2024, after Epitome was published, I met him in Kyiv, for the first time in five years, to show him his portrait. I never had an ambition of being a photojournalist. I react to the world around me on my own terms.' The film Safe Light: a Portrait of Vic Bákin by Greg Bushell will be screened alongside a print sale in aid of Hospitallers at MKII, London on 22 February 2025
