NANOHACH na Nohách

NANOHACH are becoming ever increasingly visible, as they carve out a seemingly lasting place for themselves on the Czech dance scene.

            Michal Záhora' s "revival" of the piece, Synchronicity, shared an evening programme with the much more recently performed Resonance, at Archa on 23^rd March 2009, in a polished, memorable performance, which exploited the larger and technically better-equipped space - than others where it had been previously staged - to the full. Michal Záhora and Philippa White gave accomplished performances with clear intention in a piece in which the relationship between the duo moves through various humourous and touching phases, dealing with empathy, competitiveness, disharmony, individuality and gender contrast, with skill and ease. The variations in the quaity of movement were marked, and strikingly delivered their messages, in a choreography which plays with degrees of control of movement and the lack of it, and with harmony and the lack of it between the interpreters. Resonance also flourished in this space, with its extensive stage area and the high quality of the lighting equipment, in particular.

            Less than a week later, on the 29^th, the company organised a social afternoon of both performance and refreshments, at Studio Alt@, where each of the company´s dancers presented a short solo, choreographed by the him or herself. The themes ranged from urban paranoia to romance in a butcher' s shop and the titles were the following: Seminář (Seminar, M. Záhora), Anagram (L. Švejdová), Můra (Moth, E. Kašparová), Mršina (Carrion, M. Trpišovská) and Behemot (Behemoth, J. Malík). The solos were adept and entertaining. Honza Malík' s solo was distinct from the others in the explosive quality of the movement, which contrasted sharply with the more flowing nature of the other solos' movement material, while Eliška Kašparová' s was distinct in its gravity, the others contained strong elements of humour.

            It was almost a full house, and there were some notable names from Czech cultural organisations present, as well as Karen Foss, the respected, Norwegian choreographer, who has already created two pieces for and with the company. The afternoon was a fairly successful promotional event, which also provided a chance to chat to the NANOHACH members, in the informal atmosphere of the "after-show party." I look forward to the company' s next project, the premiere, Crime and Punishment – Reconciliation, at Studio Alt@ - Hala 30, on the 28th May 2009 at 8pm, with eager anticipation.