Rennie Harris’ “Beautiful Human Lies” – Megan Bridge Solo Review
Analysis of the Dance Piece “Lovely Human lies: Chapter 4”
This article excerpt details the collaborative process and artistic intentions behind the dance piece Beautiful Human Lies: Chapter 4, choreographed by Kyle Harris and performed by Megan Bridge. The work is deeply rooted in authenticity of expression, a value shared by both artists, and utilizes a unique creative process centered around improvisation, spontaneous movement, breathwork, and sound.
Here’s a breakdown of key elements:
Process & Methodology:
Improvisational Foundation: The piece isn’t pre-set choreography in the traditional sense. It’s built upon a foundation of improvisation, allowing for genuine, in-the-moment responses from Bridge.
Somatic Exploration: Harris emphasizes “emotional tracking” and a balance between intense, visceral movements and moments of release. This suggests a deep engagement with the body’s emotional landscape.
Sound & Music Integration: Composer Peter Price and sound designer Darrin Ross play a crucial role, crafting a soundscape that complements and enhances the movement. Authenticity as Core: Bridge prioritizes showing up as her ”real, honest self” and fully engaging with the ideas and physical material presented.
Themes & Artistic Intentions:
Cultural Appropriation & Self-Awareness: The work actively addresses and challenges issues of cultural appropriation. Harris notes the piece challenges both Bridge and the audience to confront these complexities.
Emotional realness: The focus is on conveying raw emotion through kinesthetic power,avoiding sentimentality. The specific emotion is left open to interpretation by the viewer.
Abstract Narrative: The choreography doesn’t tell a linear story, but rather presents an abstract narrative that invites the audience to actively participate in meaning-making.Questions are posed – want, need, loneliness, seduction - without providing definitive answers.
Subtext & Conflict: The piece explores “subtexts of conflicted cultural assumptions,” suggesting a deeper layer of meaning beneath the surface movement.
Body as storyteller: The artists believe these stories can only be told through the dancing body, highlighting the power of non-verbal communication.
Bridge’s Performance:
Experienced Embodiment: Bridge is described as a seasoned dancer in her mid-40s, bringing a unique blend of litheness, tautness, and intelligence to the performance.
The images accompanying the text further emphasize the physicality and emotional intensity of the work. The first image shows Bridge in a vulnerable, grounded position, while the second captures a moment of raw, unrestrained expression.
In essence, Beautiful Human Lies: Chapter 4 appears to be a powerful and thought-provoking work that prioritizes authenticity, emotional depth, and a critical engagement with cultural complexities. It’s a piece that demands active participation from the audience, inviting them to feel, interpret, and question.