REVIEW: Shiraz - Steady Focus and Lasting Resonance

©️Photography by Hokmi Kiasaraei

Credits

Co-production: Festival Montpellier Danse 2024; Rosendal Teater (Trondheim); Dansehallerne (Copenhagen); Black Box teater (Oslo); Tanzfabrik (Berlin)
Supported by: Arts Council Norway; Nordic Culture Fund; FFUK; Nordic Culture Point; The Finnish Cultural Foundation
Residency Support: Montpellier Danse; Tanzfabrik (Berlin); Lake Studios (Berlin); Uferstudios (Berlin); DAVVI Center for Performing Arts Hammerfest
Research Period Supported by: Dis-Tanzen

Some performances begin by filling the stage with sound or energetic action. Shiraz begins with a calmer atmosphere that feels attentive and steady. Even before clear movement appears, the space seems to draw the audience into a more focused state. This opening prepares the viewer for a work built through detail and measured control.

Seven dancers enter with their right hands held in front of their eyes. The hand partly conceals the face, and the pale powder on the skin catches the light. Their gaze is directed forward and slightly downward, or the eyelids remain half-closed. This gives their presence a sense of inward concentration and composed restraint.

Movement develops from small changes in weight and precise actions through the pelvis. The dancers move with light, measured steps, transferring weight from one foot to the other. Sometimes they remain in place. Other moments see them progressing slowly across the stage. Each step produces an almost quivering effect that adds a sense of mystery. Their paths occasionally intersect, while in other instances they move in careful lines. Each dancer maintains a clear sense of personal space while remaining responsive to the others. The interplay between independence and connection generates a delicate tension across the stage.

The costumes consist of layered, collage-like pieces in pale tones, arranged on the upper body and made of fabrics resembling silk. The score relies on repeating musical phrases with slight variations. These alterations work in step with the dancers’ controlled changes in timing and direction. Lighting supports the work by moving between shadow and brightness without drawing the eye away from the performers.

The piece does not follow a set narrative. It carries an influence from a period in Shiraz when an annual arts festival took place between 1967 and 1977, bringing together artists from different regions and disciplines. Armin Hokmi and the creative team draw on the spirit of that era by shaping movement qualities, spatial relationships and gestures that allude to cultural memory while avoiding direct reconstruction.

The performance holds attention through consistent detail and firm intention. Shiraz forms a world with steady focus, strong presence, and finely judged interaction. The dancers’ lowered or half-closed eyes and their carefully measured movement choices create images that continue to resonate after the final moment.

★★★★

For more information, please visit: https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/armin-hokmi-shiraz/

©️Photography by Nadja Krüger