Matthias Sperling 'Riff'
Video Features || Sunday, 20 January, 2008
filmed by Neil Nisbet
Our first video feature of the new year brings an experienced dancer to the stage with a solo performance of his own making. 'Riff' by Matthias Sperling is, in its own way, the dance equivalent of a music remix. The work takes its lead from samples of three established works by some of Europe's top dance makers.
The press notes tell us this much; "['Riff' is] a work by Matthias Sperling based on sampled excerpts of Laila Diallo’s “Out of sight in the direction of my body”, William Forsythe’s “Solo” and Shobana Jeyasingh’s “Transtep”.
If you're going to sample fragments of work (used with permission of course) then those are some of the three dance makers we would recommend you pick and choose from. Here in TheLab™ we could certainly spot the influence of William Forsythe in there and we'll give a special prize if you can spot the others.
The sampling doesn't prevent the work from standing on its own two feet though (excuse the dreadful pun). 'Riff' combines finely honed performance skills with clinical dance making, the whole presentation of the work is simple and uncluttered except for a digital notice board providing subtle clues to the origins of the idea.
'Riff' was created and performed by Matthias Sperling with music by Scanner. Andy Downie take a curtain call for the lighting design with Neill Wissink on visual design duties.
The next performance will be in Newcastle upon Tyne on March 14th in the Dance Lab. No website as yet but we'll bring you more details when we have them.
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