The Reinvention of the Wheel
by Lukas Arndt
The Cyr Wheel also receives applause. After just under an hour, during which applause breaks out time and again even between scenes, Jef Everaert and Marica Marinoni face the audience. Sweaty and with weary smiles, one tries to bring the standing ovation to a halt, whilst the other gestures to indicate that the applause may well continue a little longer. Although this scene is no longer part of the piece, these small gestures capture the central conflict well. For “In Difference” is also about two different philosophies of how to engage with the world and with one another. And so here too, one is modest, peaceful, at times indecisive, whilst the other is confrontational and self-assured. Even though the artist must not be conflated with the stage character here, this brief moment amidst visible exhaustion and sustained applause is a beautiful ending to these breathless 60 minutes that have simply flown by.
Attenzione and panting
With “Come Closer”, the Circus Dance Festival sets a theme that directly addresses coexistence. “In Difference” also takes up this theme. The title of the piece itself, with its two possible meanings – “indifference” and “in difference” – alludes to coexistence and allows for two interpretations of the relationship between the two performers. However, there is little sign of indifference in the piece. The differences between the two characters, on the other hand, and the friction that arises from them, are the driving force behind the piece’s progression, forming its movement material and dramaturgical foundation. Jef Everaert and Marica Marinoni, along with their dramaturgical and artistic support, demonstrate a keen sense of timing and changes in tempo. Sequences that, given their fast pace and complexity, one would have liked to see twice, alternate with quiet periods that allow time for wonder and remind us to breathe.
Lighting and music provide support in a pleasantly understated manner, managing to be both background and foreground at the same time. The production’s extensive history of funding and production is evident in this respect.
Not least for this reason, it hardly matters that the conflict between the two characters, despite its physical intensity, occasionally seems somewhat contrived and functional, and at times appears to switch back and forth seemingly at random between aggression and playful bickering. It is not the substantive engagement with the chosen theme that makes this piece so impressive. It is rather the movement research with the Cyr wheel and with one another that demonstrates a care and passion which the narrative level of the piece sometimes lacks.
And yet, at other points, a sense of genuine cooperation comes across. The performers do not try to hide their exertion, but use the physical strain as an opportunity to communicate with one another. Sometimes quietly, sometimes more loudly, the two exchange brief comments and instructions in French and Italian, which seem to hover somewhere between private conversation and stage dialogue.
Midway through the piece, Marinoni briefly leaves the stage.
“T’es où là?”
(Where are you?)
A duo?
The language of “In Difference” is one that is accessible in two ways. Not only do these brief moments of verbal communication help us feel connected to the performers, but the circus technique itself is pleasantly accessible. And for one simple reason: it is exciting and new. This feeling is already conveyed when Jef Everaert rolls onto the stage at the start of the piece, rolling himself, being rolled.
Who is moving whom here, where does the human ends and where does the wheel begin – it all blurs together. Even this very first moment shows that the Cyr Wheel is the performers’ equal, plays an equally important part. And it stays that way right up to the impressive, very last moment.
Afterwards: applause for all three. They’re sweating, they’re smiling, they let the crowd cheer them on and, without taking a minute’s break, head straight from the stage to the table with posters and postcards. And as you walk past the two of them towards the exit, you find yourself wondering: just how heavy is a Cyr Wheel, actually?