Last night I went to see Gary Stevens' 'Ape' at the Leeds Met Studio Gallery. The Artsadmin website (Gary Stevens is part of Artsadmin) says the following about the piece;
'Playfully testing the limits of the rule through skilful and sophisticated performances, Ape creates a tangled mass of associations, moving from instantly recognisable social situations to moments of slapstick comedy. Actions and words soon spin out of control as the performers continue to copy the copy...'
I really enjoyed it. It was cleverly made - one of those things that looks easy but isn't, genuinely funny and beautifully performed.
Part of the trio was Wendy Houstoun, former DV8 dancer and now freelance performer. I mention DV8 because its Wendy's character in Strange Fish that sticks in my mind. And last night I had that image of her in my mind as I watched her performing now, in real time.
Strange Fish was made seventeen years ago. Her black hair is now grey. Despite the fact that I have only ever seen Wendy perform twice, once in the video of Strange Fish and once last night, I felt like I had witnessed a passage of time.
As a dance student we are often reminded how tough it is out there in the real world, how competitive, how financially disastrous it is....and the list goes on. So it was both inspiring and reassuring to see such a long lasting artist before me, wanting to, and having the opportunity to, perform.
