Review: Apospasmata

Blood on the dance floor!

One of the absolute dance events of the autumn is the freshly physical, powerful, raunchy urban, touching Apospasmata by the Helsinki City Theatre Dance Company. The choreographer of the commissioned work, which premiered in October, is the Cretan-born Andonis Foniadakis, who is on a significant international rise.

Foniadakis, 35, tells the story of Apospasmatata. “fragments”) are said to have started from the latest images of world news, war, violence and anonymous victims of spirals of violence.
“I wanted the dancers to ask with their bodies what it’s like in an era like this. Images of life in a metropolis where speed of action is everything – where people are important on the one hand, but only a single number on the other.

Foniadakis’ trademark, the physicality of the movement language, is not to the liking of all dance lovers. In Apospasmata, physicality is especially emphasized because the dancers’ faces are covered.
“Dance performances often work better with less physicality, with more mental presence of the dancers. Physicality is especially important in this work, because it carries the anonymity of the dancers.

It is useless to look for Finnishness in Apospasmata, let alone Greekness; The work is the result of dancers directed by a citizen of the world. Part of the success of an artist like Foniadakis is his ability to mix things up with a touch that transcends cultural ties. After Helsinki, Andonis will work in Lyon, São Paulo and Geneva.
“I think the globalisation of dance styles is inevitable. Of course, everywhere you can see both more individual and culturally specific expressions and, on the other hand, following some schools of thought. I have enjoyed working with Finnish dancers, they are really dedicated to their work.

But where does the old cliché that dancing fascinates gay people more than average comes from?
“Well, of course, the fact that gay people are very in touch with their own passions and bodies… and above all, free to express this!