Aerial spins and contact improvisation—this is the practice of contemporary dance where the physical points of contact between at least two dancers become the starting point for an exploration of fluid movements. It may seem like an unusual combination, yet it is the essence of Impact, a contemporary circus show by the French company (Rêve)². This is the fourth production since the group’s founding in 2005 by Naïma and Tiko Venne—she a trapeze artist, he a balance artist—both graduates of the École Supérieure des Arts du Cirque. Impact is a poetic show, highly acrobatic and dance-driven. The company’s name, "Sogno al quadrato" ("Dream Squared"), is a declaration of intent: to make the audience dream, to create wonder through virtuosic performances, but also to pursue a lyrical choreographic development that is rarely found in nouveau cirque shows, which tend to focus on ‘numbers’ and pure spectacle.
The company’s choreographer, Benjamin Tricha, offers a different vision. By exploring the concept of impact as the physical reaction to an action—the collision of one object or person with another—he guided the group through a creative process that delved into the various aspects of movement. "Five bodies presenting themselves," explains the choreographer, "who, instead of introducing themselves by name, display their technical prowess. They take just enough time to coordinate with each other, to share a technique, and to find personal ways to interpret it. Once complete trust is established, dance and movement emerge. And this is where harmony is found...until the point where individual identities dissolve in relation to the group."
With no elaborate set or costumes—just a teeterboard, a Russian bar, and a mattress—the five energetic performers strive to synchronize, like a brilliant chamber orchestra suspended between sky and earth.
