Facts and Storyline
Greed is a dance performed by Josh Killacky and Jade Chynoweth. It was devised in an attempt to attract people’s attention to the problem of domestic violence. The dance has a storyline; it starts with the portrayal of the torture of a girl by her young man. The girl lies on the floor while the young man drags her somewhere with a rope. Thus, the theme of violence is introduced and later developed as the dance progresses.
The dance shows romantic love and relationships where good moments with sexual undercurrents transform into violent scenes and vice versa. The girl seems trapped in the relationship, which brings her more suffering than joy, and she does not know how to end it. Finally, however, she manages to overcome her attachment and escape. The dance finishes symbolically, with the man lying with a rope and the girl walking away from him as well as from the sufferings he inflicted upon her.
Performance of the Dancers
The dance is energetic and dynamic; the dancer’s movements are quick and convey the extreme emotions the dancers want to portray. Indeed, there are elements of fighting in the dance that depict struggle and conflict, as well as movements in unison that convey love and passion. The rhythmic pattern matches the one of the song “Weight inGold” by Gallant, which is, in fact, the only sound in the dance. Such use of the song makes the dance charged with emotions as nothing distracts viewers from what the song and the dance portray. The song’s words closely match the dance theme, that of the suffering a girl wants to put a stop to but is unable to finish. Thus, the song goes, “But I can lift this on my own pulling my weight in gold,” echoing the visual picture of suffering the dancers create.
Key Aspects of the Dance
What stood out to me in the dance was the abrupt changes from dancing as a couple to the fighting elements the dancers used. Such a technique conveys the relationship that goes from love to hatred to passion and then to hatred again. I believe these elements are essential since they serve well to depict the theme of domestic violence raised in the dance. The dancers are highly skilled; they professionally use diverse dancing elements at an excellent dance tempo. Moreover, dancing in unison means that they do not brush each other, which, given the high tempo of the dance, demands specific practice.
Choice of Music and Costumes
The choice of song sets the mood of the dance; it is somber and charged with emotions. The atmosphere of gloom and hopelessness created by the song is well-matched by the choice of costumes and settings. Thus, the dancers are both clad in black, the color of fight and despair. Under the costumes, the viewers may see their movements, the dancers being either engaged in the portrayal of fight or passion.
Lighting, Set Design and Technology Use
The lighting used throughout the dance is grey and black. The setting is a space with a large window through which viewers may see the city lights glittering in the darkness. The choice of these colors well portrays the despair the girl feels. Apart from the window, no props are used on the stage. The bareness of the room where the dance takes place depicts the nakedness of emotions the dancers want to convey and the strength of the girl’s suffering. No technology is used throughout the dance, which makes the emotional coloring more vivid. I liked the dance very much as it raises the relevant topic of domestic violence and teaches viewers about the forms it may assume in a visual, easy-to-understand way.