London 2012 blog

You’d be surprised how profoundly disturbing it can be for an evening of contemporary dance to be punctuated by a water leak resulting in loud rhythmic drips from above creating a glistening damp patch on the edge of the stage. Surely this can’t be happening. The puddle is fast becoming a pool and the dancers won’t be able to avoid it for long. 

Worse still this is a premier – we’re almost an hour into the very first night of Birmingham’s prestigious International Dance Festival. The city has invested significantly to build on its already strong reputation in dance. Heading towards 2012 and the Cultural Olympiad, Birmingham is set to stamp its mark around the world in this most athletic of art forms.
Minutes later, fidgety members of the audience look at each other in discomfort noticing that water is now seeping out, ominously from the back of the stage. A string of rivulets is advancing, and then coalescing towards the audience. Dancers are soon skidding, their costumes are dripping and the posh folk in the front row of the stalls are feeling the splashes.

I remember seeing the severe weather warning earlier in the day, but Birmingham’s Hippodrome Theatre has enjoyed a multi-million pound refurbishment. It is the spectacular home to the Birmingham Royal Ballet and surely they wouldn’t allow anything as simple as a leaky roof or dodgy plumbing to jeopardise such a night.

As the whole stage is now awash in half an inch of water and the dancers continue unabashed, it is me (and plenty others I’m hoping) feeling the embarrassment. Rather than dashing in at the last minute, it pays to read the programme before attending a premier. For this is The Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, and the piece is called “Moon Water”. The simplicity of the production, the costumes and the monochrome set is now reflected by the inundation and the scene becomes magical. There are mirror images above and behind the performers and the juxtaposition of languid sequences of gentle ripples and violent thrashing sending cascades of water across the stage is as memorable as it was, initially, disturbing.

The programme tells me that “Moon Water” is a metaphor of two things; one is a Buddhist proverb “flowers in a mirror and moon on the water are both illusory”. The other describes the ideal state of Tai Chi practioners; “Energy flows as water, while the spirit shines as the moon.”

After the performance at least I find that I was not alone. The London 2012 Regional Creative Programmers (one for each of the English regions and the other nations) had spent the day sharing plans for the Cultural Olympiad. Having opened up the process last month for anyone to apply to join the programme and to use the new London 2012 'Inspire mark', we’re only five months away from the public launch. It was energising to hear that all over the UK there are youthful projects drawing inspiration from the values of the 2012 Games. Although we know this is only the start of a four year journey, and there’s plenty to do before London becomes the Olympic and Paralympic Host City, the sense of momentum is real and the excitement amongst the group is tangible.

Thankfully even half of this group of seasoned cultural professionals shared my naïve interpretation of “Moon Water” - others knew the plot and acted blase. Cloud Gate Dance Theatre continues on tour in various parts of the UK. Do catch it, but take someone with you who hasn’t read the programme...