Critics respond to “Would I lie to you?”

RealLivePeople were thrilled with our press coverage for Would I lie to you? Not only were we the Philadelphia Inquirer’s top pick for the weekend of September 5th, we also received some well written, extremely positive reviews. Here are some excerpts:

Photo Credit: JJ Tiziou

SHOW DESCRIPTIONS:
“In solo, partner, and group pieces, the eight dancers of RealLivePeople slid, kicked, rolled, leapt, and spun around the floor. Their motions, like the overall tone of Would I Lie to You?, were sharp yet graceful, dynamic yet playful. There were clean lines and enough breaking of form to vary the patterns made. Most of the movement included body contact and weight sharing between the dancers, suggesting the way that lies can weigh on and entangle our relations.” Samantha Maldanado, Broad Street Review

“…using audience-submitted lies for improvisational skits and performing to audio interviews of cast members detailing their beliefs about, and instances of, lying. Gliding between others’ outstretched limbs, pausing in handstands and shoulder supports, the cast carves, darts, and slides through translucent white curtains.” Becca Weber, ThinkingDance.Net

Photo Credit: JJ Tiziou

WHAT THE CRITICS THOUGHT:

“This is a beautiful piece of exploratory movement to watch – beautiful choreography, beautiful bodies, beautiful honesty. It gives us our own opportunities to reflect on our own lies, and absorb the fact that we have many of the same deceptions in common. And perhaps those deceptions can themselves be beautiful in that way. This show does not preach at us that the lies are wrong, or that we should stop lying – it gives us a chance to decide that for ourselves in a non-judgmental way.” Trish Parry, FringeReview.co.uk

“…the multilayered approach held my attention. The use of words (spoken by dancers, written on Post-its, or recorded and played aloud), as well as the dancers’ facial expressions, made the performance more accessible and enjoyable to those who do not consider themselves privy to the nuances of contemporary dance. The different kinds of performances within the show raised complex questions about the nature of lies.” Samantha Maldanado, Broad Street Review

Advertisement

What it’s like: Dramaturgy for Dance

By Jenna Stelmok, Dramatrug

I’m incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to dance. In fact, I spent one of the most formative years of my life (age 3) falling down in a glittery tutu.

When I first met Gina Hoch-Stall and interviewed for the position of dramaturg for Would I Lie to You?, my primary concern was not having enough experience in dance to provide real assistance to the project. While I have dramaturgy and theatrical experience, I didn’t know the difference between battements and a port de bras (I still don’t, I just looked up those terms online), let alone how to express a story through movement. Still, Gina and I hit it off and wrapped our meeting quickly with a “Let’s do this!”

But as I’ve attended rehearsals for RealLivePeople, I’ve slowly gained more of an understanding on the creation of a dance piece. I struggled in the beginning with dropping my logical and narrative-based approach, and opening myself to a physical, more free-form type of expression. Allowing my mind to be open to the movement onstage in front of me, and connecting with the dancers’ impulses and ideas, has become a fantastic experience in engaging with others’ stories. Furthermore, RealLivePeople is the most accessible dance company I’ve seen, offering work that may be fully understood by “normal” (i.e. non-dance) folk.

Photo: Lindsay Browning

The dancers, while technically proficient and skilled, are not stuffy or traditional; their stories and impulses are clear, raw, and immediately visible the moment they move. Since this is an ensemble-based piece with every dancer contributing new material, Would I Lie to You? is additionally packed with a wide variance of personal (hi)stories and opinions on what it means to tell a lie. Expressed with minimal text, the piece instead explodes with body language and movement to be interpreted by an audience through their personal views.

I was asked what it’s like to work as a dramaturg for a dance company for this blog, and my first inclination was to try and explain all of the unexpected variances between this project and any dramaturgy I’ve done in the past. Then, I received the instructions “It doesn’t have to be crazy long, or too complex. Just honest.” Honestly, working as a dramaturg for this dance company been one of the most engaging artistic experiences I’ve had. It’s has opened my mind to an entirely new form of storytelling and dialogue. I’ve learned how to experiment and create art with only your body as a tool, and what it means to take a physical risk.

Working with this dance company has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to put yourself onstage, with no significant filter between you and your audience, and share your world with others. Working with these dancers has been real, explosive, and bursting with honest expression— at least, I think it has…