The
seven pleasures could be related to the
Laban eight basic efforts of Press, Thrust, Wring, Slash, Glide, Dab, Float, and Flick. There could be the underlying rhythms or aspects of effort involved.
Alternatively the
seven dance movements:
plie to bend,
releve to rise,
etendre (tende) to stretch,
saute to spring,
glise to glide,
elance to dart,
tourne to turn were also apparent throughout the piece. An eighth is
battu to beat.
The seven pleasures could be your seven favourite aspects and what you see in the piece. It could be your seven
fetishes or indulgences.
I could see many people comparing this show to the most obvious
seven deadly sins, and that would be another perspective to this work.
This work is very clever as you can see it from so many different perspectives:
the seven virtues,
seven deadly sins, and some will laugh and say you could even see the
seven dwarfs. That is the beauty of the
Melbourne Festival as it opens us to discussion and challenges us. For these reasons, this show,
"7 Pleasures" is pure
Melbourne Festival fare at its best.
Waiting in the foyer I noticed people appearing from a corridor wearing casual clothes, They were obviously some of the dancers, and they could have mingled more in the crowd and not been so prominent standing in small groups. Also some should have been wearing more formal attire or suits to actually surprise and challenge us when the big reveals occurred.
The house lights were still alighted when gradually some of the dancers pretending to be audience members would begin to undress. They were the dancers. Some were seated and a few stood in the aisles. We had a guy in our row and one seated in front of us who began to undress. They moved to the stage and formed a group overlapping on top of other dancers upstage right. A lady behind us stood and took off her jacket to the surprise of her friends and received a welcome laugh. Imagine if someone from the audience did join in?!
There were three distinct parts to the show. The first had the dancers stripped and then formed a unit and moved as one across the stage, over the settee, under and over the table. They proceeded to merge with a lady who was sprawled out over the lone black lounge chair.
The first section was a discovery of self and others as the dancers mainly had their eyes closed. They were like new born babies discovering their bodies and adjusting to their new environment.
There was an extended section where the dancers were dabbing, rubbing and patting each other. At times it was very
blokey and sporty as if in the showers after a football game, using congratulatory slaps and pats of encouragement. In some ways it reminded me of the kindergarten song about how each body part is joined together in
"Dem Bones".
The contact work requires enormous trust and relaxation to be able to support another person. Any tension can be disastrous.
Another phrase had the dancers all rolling back and forth across each other.
A phallic shaped cactus sat just off centre stage to the downstage right. A woman licked the cactus leaves as if exploring her taste bud sensations. It looked quite dangerous as the leaves appeared to be quite sharp. Later a man repeated the licking of the leaves which is both the kinaesthetic and taste sensation.
The group all disbanded and went their separate ways. One went to the back beaded curtain, another on a thick rubbery looking mat, another to the cactus, others to chairs. Each was finding their individuality and expression. The lady explored the mat's surface by stretching out and then rolled herself into the mat as if a caterpillar was forming a cocoon for a beautiful butterfly to emerge.
There was a section with metal cooking bowls. Tapping and being used in so many creative ways.
A section included more ecstatic movements that culminated in a build up to a release or orgasmic conclusion. No sexual penetration as it was
tantric in their bouncing up and down on the spot.
The second section where the lights dimmed represented the after glow or the "little death" (
la petite mort) with sensual activities of rest, relief or satisfaction. This was genteel, caring and sensual. The lighting of a post-coital-cigarette action (as per the classic movies) was missing. Cleansing a body by one couple was included which also drew strong links of love and mortality when washing a dead body. Each dancer had their own actions and gestures during this contemplative section.
Two orange ropes hung from the lighting-rig-beams above and counter balanced each other. A dancer was pulling on the end of one orange rope and a light came on at the other end of the orange rope. It turned out that there were lights at the ends of the ropes and it could be the inner afterglow of sexual activities as a "light bulb" moment of an orgasm. On stage right the long haired man was using his mouth to engage with the ropes and tying it around his neck. Someone behind me groaned in recognition of his simulated
auto-erotica-asphyxiation.
Silver balls were placed on dancers' backs as they arched and rounded their backs to allow the silver ball to trace their spine. They were balancing the silver ball and not allowing it to fall off their backs. They were like pin ball machines and rewarded for their achievement.
There was a section that I called "Prowess" where each dancer was using an object to show they had the biggest or best accoutrements. The young man used a long black tube that could be demonstrating length. Another was using a chair, while someone else was using cushions to boost their sexual advantage.
There was a section that replicated masturbation or self pleasure. It was very indulgent with each dancer using a technique individual to their character's needs and desires. Images of rope pulling simulated masturbation. While the tug-of-war duo simulated mutual masturbation.
Some of the dancers stripped off items of clothing as others put these items of clothing on as if second hand clothes.
This was the only section where I remembered actual groping of breasts.
There was a moment when some of those wearing black would pull down their pants and expose themselves. One guy looked between a woman's legs as her pants and underwear had been pulled down. He was peeping through her legs that framed the action of other dancers. There was so much action happening and too many places on stage to watch. Sadly, I missed how the lady who had been tied to the underside of the table had been released.
Parts of this section were quite brutal when they used cushions to smother another dancer or catch them.
There was a section where the dancers were engaged, pulsating or writhing with objects. Sometimes it was very funny. Other times it was inventive and held our curiosity. It could be simulated sex or even new and possible fetishes. As per the title, we do not know what are your personal seven pleasures?
The final section had half the ensemble put on black clothes. It was very discriminating and excluding as the naked people were outcasts as they were relegated to the the large settee and showed us their bums. The final section of wearing black involved six bodies laying over the top of the settee as they were observed by those wearing black. Those showing their bums was punishment as if they were on display and showing their wares to be auctioned off in the slave trade or as meat in a butcher's shop. Those in black stood and observed as if keeping guard. It could be the pleasure of denial.
Dancers swapping clothes was simulating cross dressing and it could mean many other things. The changing of clothes could be submission and an order to dress in a particular way to be accepted. It could have been the uniform - as Melbournians wear a lot of black!
The final section involved the cast creating a robot or machine with sounds. The sounds included the mmm of pleasure and the oohs and aahs with the orgasmic type squeal of satisfaction. The lady who made the squeal sound moved into the audience as the ensemble holding cushions and other items stood in a row across the stage. The lady climbed over the seats in the audience. I was prepared to repeat the sound "nuh" if needed. Thankfully this was not required.
These sounds were harmonious and showed satisfaction and appreciation. The sounds were
animalistic revealing that humans too are animals and have sexual needs. These sounds were of communication and mutual respect to identify and direct your attention.
Enthusiastic applause followed as half the cast were still in their birthday suits.
Sir Robert Helpmann had famously said about body parts "
The trouble with nude dancing is that not everything stops when the music stops." He was so right with the men in particular with the "top dog" or
"alpha male" standing on a large black box vigorously moving and his manhood on display. This alpha male received a lot of audience attention!
After the house lights came on a gentleman called out "The next performance is in Saudi Arabia" and someone responded "Very funny!"
"7 Pleasures" was not for everyone as one person left after about forty minutes and then about eight people left the show at about the one hour mark.
"7 Pleasures" is a challenging work as it makes you think. The work could be divided into the three sections of birth, death and rebirth. The birth was simulated via the entry under the table, or over the table as in a caesarean birth. The second section was like a rest with
la petite mort. While the last section was a rebirth and remaking of the society which drew parallels to fascist regimes such as Hitler as they wore the black uniforms.
The show could also be perceived as the
seven days of creation from Genesis. The following is a very rough example of the Genesis perception. Day one: the house lights were on and then they dimmed as the dancers took their position upstage right. Day two: the dancers went their separate ways to discover their senses. Day three: they gathered together (maybe in an orgy). Day four: dividing the day from night with the use of the hanging lights section. Day five: creation of different creatures. Also the monsters were created in the guise of the dancers in black appearing menacing. Day six: Be fruitful and multiply. Day seven: a day of rest as the ensemble chanted and approached the audience ceremoniously.
Yes there could be many different, or some say, ridiculous interpretations. The
seven dwarfs of menopause could be another interpretation. Whatever is your preferred interpretation the show stretches your thinking into new possibilities. This show opens up discussion.
At first we felt a bit cheated as the show began at about 7.42 pm and finished at about 9.07 pm. However, if you factor in the pre-show announcement when waiting in the foyer, this may have been the beginning of the performance with the dancers coming through and going to the toilets. If so, then this makes it the advertised one hour and forty minutes.
There are so many wonderful memories about this show that I wrote words to remind me of different moments.
The power of suggestion, the simulated sex was very graphic and in some ways was more confronting than pornography. Do not get me wrong as the extreme puritans and even those opposed to pornography, who have not seen enough porn to judge my comments or assessment need to open their eyes. I am not suggesting that this show is pornographic but opens up discussion of how society is exposed to so many suggestive possibilities and to subliminal messages in the media, advertising and literature. It got me thinking how we sexualise society from such a young age.
I wish someone would elaborate on my offerings and different perspectives, as analysis of this show would make a great thesis for a dance or theatre student. (If you do, please at least have the courtesy to quote this source!)
I would love to know the process of how they created and rehearsed this work. How do you rehearse an understudy or replacement cast member? I am fascinated by the process. The cast must have some amazing stories about the reactions of different audiences from around the world. Curiously, I would love to hear more of these funny, weird and different stories from the cast and crew.
This is a wonderful example of a festival show to challenge, and, potentially, divide audiences.
I could easily see this show again as I am in awe at their physical strength and stamina that was sadly lacking in another dance work at this 2017
Melbourne Festival.
"7 Pleasures" obtained an 8/10.
"Germinal" is a great companion piece to
"7 Pleasures" from the Genesis perspective.
