I am Douglas Tarlow

Lezten Frühling, war ich in Berlin, wo ich Gezeiten von Sasha Waltz gesen habe. Sasha ist ein modernen Tanz Komponist.

Ich gehe morgen abend zum eines seltenes Ereignis. Ich hab schwein gehabt. Sasha hat nach die USA gekommt.

So ich habe hier im meines Tages buch auf Deutsch geschrieben. Ich hab seit mehr als sechs monaten kein Deutsch geschrieben, gehört, oder gelesen. Schließlich, ich teile ein essay für ein kurs heißt Body Culture.

(es ist ein größe schade dass mein deutsch so schlecht ist)

Gezeiten Review

Waltz has said she is “addressing the interdependency between destruction and re-creation and the transformations that life is permanently subject to, physically as well as metaphysically.”  In previous performances program notes, Waltz has also said she “wanted to exploit that the theatre setting would not allow us to simply switch channels if the viewing got difficult.” A comment which provides significant insight into the subject of the performance, which is an attempt to address the rational and inner feelings of a postwar German society and to confront and acknowledge previous acts of evil, namely the holocaust, the greatest and most horrific man made disaster of modern history. While the performance addresses other themes, this main theme is not only most difficult to address, but also most painful to show; this becomes increasingly apparent as the serene beginning transforms into insanity, then a mixture of disaster remorse and finally concludes with rebirth. Waltz uses modern dance to confront this difficult part of German history because the medium allows her to force the audience to view the entire story, including the difficult parts.
Gezeiten is a powerful and gripping theatrical dance show that is certain to test the limits of a modern audience. Throughout the show, many were tempted to walk out, some gave into temptation and left mid-show, and some stayed for the encounter. The viewing experience was undeniably demanding, and I found myself, an outsider to German history, fighting off an intense inner desire to depart. By the final act, I was somewhat numbed to the shock and intensely uncomfortable. Even though I eagerly departed after the performance’s conclusion, I felt intensely aware of the pains of the postwar German society. An understanding which helps to explain current German society.
Although there is no clear separation, as is typical in theater since Roman times, it is clear that this performance contained at least two distinct acts, arguably three, if one counts the final “metamorphosis” as an act as well. I will focus primarily on the first two, “serenity” and “horror, confrontation and disaster”. The sharp juxtaposition between the first and second act evokes an overwhelmingly visceral experience. Finally, the third act is a return to serenity through the completion of German Society’s metamorphosis.
Act 1. Unison. Dancers walk in each other’s footsteps and frolic around the stage. The lighting is soft and white. The music is gentle. Dancers clad in white are contorted, turned upside down and helped to complete otherwise impossible moves through the help of dark clad dancers, whom are dressed mainly in black, dark green and dark blue. It flows with a pure feeling, like a small and natural spring sparkling as it catches rays of sun through the forest canopy along a mountain pass. The doors of the stage are open, dancers flow in and out harmoniously.
Then Act 1 transitions into Act 2. The lighting changes, tones of red, blue begin and the intensity changes.  The doors of the stage close; Act 2 begins. Deep melodies and rising concern build from the cellist’s poignant notes.
Stage Front Right. Ten dancers/actors assemble. Some stand on chairs, others on the table. They act as one; their movements are a single heartbeat. The music changes to melodramatic tones, and their actions are overshadowed by evil. However, the actions of each individual are inherently good. One member falls off of the structure. Immediately he is an outcast, attacked by members of his former group, and by a heckler from atop the doorway in the back of the stage. This is NAZI Germany. And the fallen one is the first part of German realization and separation. He is the small voice in their heads, showing them what they are really a part of; he is the voice in their heads causing them doubt. One man tries to help the fallen one. He cannot seem to touch him. He wants to help; he wants to realize. But against his best efforts, he cannot touch him and he cannot help him. And when he tries, the community to his right, the remnants of the organism of evil, shouts and pleads with him to simply leave the fallen man.
Act 2 transitions into human disaster and insanity. Realization has struck, but the society is unable to stop itself. Plague. Disease. Nuclear Devastation. All of these man made disaster strike. It is the cleansing of the society. They are paying for their evil. Finally the mood changes again.
Act 3 begins the return to serenity. Small pods begin to appear on the stage. People are cocooned and begin emerge as new. This is the completion of the hero-cycle. German society has been reborn.
This performance is a hybrid of theater and dance, an interesting mixture of storytelling, separate acts, and expression. It is no wonder that Waltz chose the medium of modern dance to examine the difficulties that German society faced after World War II. Interestingly the show did not provide an intermission. Typical theatrical performances often use three acts, like Waltz’s performance, but atypically she does not include an intermission. This is largely for two reasons. Firstly, with such a difficult subject matter, intermission would provide too easy of an escape. Social pressure surely helped to keep the audience in there seats, because individuals leaving the performance in the middle are much more clearly seen. Secondly, using an intermission requires the building of a cliffhanger before the intermission in order to encourage the audience to come back. Creating a cliffhanger would have created an unwanted departure from the subject matter. Despite its non-conformist production, this show is a work of genius, masterful storytelling, and incredible expression; it exemplifies modern dance.