The tag line a story of two worlds, a story in two halves couldn’t be more right when describing Double Take, as there is a strong contrast between the first and second half. As Chevon rightly stated ‘The piece is about joy but performed with a heavy heart’, it is clear in the first half that the dancers are burdened by hardship through their strong and grounded movements; and by the pounding heartbeat rhythm which accompanies a lot of the different sections. The first half is a powerhouse of moves, one as striking as the next, even when the dancers shout and rejoice it doesn’t come as a shock as it is so befitting to the rest of the piece. Tsungai Tsikirai lights up the stage with her authoritative but sweet voice and you can really feel the dancer’s adversity through her words.
There is an element of light and shade as the piece progresses into the second half; one can definitely feel the celebration and playfulness which is reminiscent of Bawren’s childhood, seen through the use of Muchongoyo and Zimbabwean dance. The dancers smile and laugh as duets turn into travelling sequences executed mischievously across the floor, it was hard to stop myself getting up on stage and joining them in what felt like a joyous party. My favourite part would have to be when the dancers perform a light-hearted sequence in a line at the front of the stage, with one moving rolling swiftly into another there is a real sense of community and passion in the way they dance, and hey who doesn’t just love a great bit of intriguing unison?
Unquestionably Double Take provides variety; solos, duets, group unison, and canon all make this piece a joy to watch, and with Tsungai the vocalist being involved in the dancing and the formations, you can really feel that the dancing, the music and the vocals are not separate entities that have been fused together, rather; they are one. I found myself knowing that Double Take was at its end when the dancers repeated a sequence from the beginning of the show, but this time sped up as they retreated into the wings. I really didn’t want the piece to finish and almost hoped the dancers would run on and surprise me with one last sequence.
For those of you that have seen Wild Dog, you may be able to spot similar motifs that are distinctive of Bawren Tavaziva, in a way, he is putting his stamp on the piece and is showing the audience how he can develop movement that just gets better with every new work. Make sure you get your tickets early for this poignant and emotional piece of contemporary African dance, because if you miss out, you will be disappointed.
