Review: Chorus Line 2013

Attractive,
A hilarious masterpiece

The profession of a dancer could hardly be presented better than in Sonya Lindfors’ choreography Chorus Line 2013. The work tells not only about the play and creativity associated with the sport, but also about the fearlessness and severity built into it, the harshness towards one’s own body. Dance is compared to elite sports, which is a way of life, a limited one. Keeping the body in constant readiness for new performances consumes energy, requires maintenance and, in the long run, more and more recovery time.

Why it is necessary to talk about these things in the case of Helsinki Dance Company right now is explained by the fact that the high-quality group, which is also known beyond the borders of our country, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The young choreographer’s keen observation reveals both his ability to identify with the experiences of his colleagues and the underlying personal affection and knowledge of the genre.

But above all, Chorus Line 2013 succeeds in the most important thing. It is a performance that takes its audience unconditionally. Comedy, appeal, dance aesthetics, virtuosity and magic.

To avoid possible misunderstandings , it should be mentioned that this is not the case with the American film Chorus Line (1985 dir. Richard Attenborough, starring Michael Douglas and Alyson Reed, among others) into a dance work. But the director said that he got inspiration from it – down to the name loan. The participants mainly enjoyed the familiarity of the renowned musical film from the point of view of both the dancers and the audience. The atmosphere of the auditions was discovered, and by examining the relationships within the group, the viewer was almost allowed to “get on the skin”. If not jealousy, then at least analytical evidence of mutual soloist competition. Perhaps also because without a strong team spirit, the group would hardly have stayed together for so long. Or as dancer Kaisa Torkkel describes the significance of performing for herself: “to be on the verge of uncertainty and make discoveries with others”.

The music, from Tina Turner to Lionel Richie, Britney Spears and Finnish hip-hop artists – the Ceebrolistics – served excellently as the backbone of both the story and the atmosphere. Karaoke was also an effort, and the immersion rose to astonishingly funny spheres. The dancing jackets were dressed to add stage radiance to the gold, and even if they weren’t, they would have been noticed – for sure. Speaking roles, short, cheerful monologues about one’s own attitude to work, as well as hilarious interview sections, were also interpreted naturally. The reception was equally enthusiastic, whether the audience was entertained in the hall or in the foyer.

The choreographer dealt with his subject matter in a distinctive way. Professional dancers, who are familiar with a wide range of working methods and dance styles, are flexible material and are ready to play with the unreasonableness of demands. The richness of the movement language and the mastery of it, including muscles and muscle groups that are insignificant or even non-existent in layman’s attention, aroused admiration. The merging of dancers of different ages – the oldest born in 1963, the youngest two in 1976 – into equal parts of the group was surprising only afterwards…

The work also touched on the productions left behind and saw incredibly “loose” solo performances, laced with anger, passion or jealousy, as well as the impressive flow of an intact ensemble, especially in the final climb that goes wild.

Kaisa, Harri, Ville, Unto, Sofia, Inka and Heidi. The Auditorium waved for you! Like at the Stadium.