directed and choreographed by Arthur Pita
Dancers Cody Choi, Robin Dingemans, Tiziana Fracchiolla, Rachel Lopez de la Nieta,Jason Piper.

This is Arthur Pita’s second piece at The Place. “Bugger”, performed last December, was a hilarious romp. “Camp” shows how Pita’s choreographic skills have developed and matured. He has produced a full evening’s work containing fresh and varied ideas around the theme of The Four Seasons, played with virtuoso verve by Nigel Kennedy. His unique blend of intricate dance and inventive theatre is a treat.

Magnified images of white on a black wall, frost covered leaves and sleet, thunder and gloom set the scene. Then comes the great thaw, buds, blossom and bloom.

Our intrepid five campers bound onto stage with their rucksacks. The wonderful Baroque spring of Antonio Vivaldi is upon us. Three yellow tents with pneumatic poles are unfurled and pumped up with relish by the men (Cody Choi, Robin Dingemans and Jason Piper). Tiziana Fracchiolla, the earth child, soliloquizes about oysters in the ocean, crashing waves and how her organs feel freshly showered.

Meditation, ritual swaying, then…. in the absence of trees… tent hugging.
Rhythmic rolling around the yellow canvas, connecting with the ground and communing with nature, followed by some adult communing in the tent. Tiziana crawls out, followed by an exploratory hand and foot belonging to her ‘lover’ ( Robin Dingemans). He emerges and they dance a sweet duet, her fragility accentuated by his height and strength.

Summer arrives. Jazz, palm trees and a brief lecture on knot tying, including the sheepshank, which becomes relevant later. Rapid, muscular movement as Vivaldi reaches a crescendo. To the side, Rachel Lopez de la Nieta and Jason Piper only have eyes for each other. An exquisite intertwined pas-de-deux follows, danced with great sensuality, exploring the burgeoning of young love. The intricate partnering and lifts included MacMillan-esque twists, and this was one of the highlights of the excellent choreography.

Suddenly, with whoops and much frolicking, everyone’s clothes are off and its time for skinny dipping, but this section is very short and dimly lit by the flickering camp fire flames, the nudity remaining ‘tasteful’ at all times.

With their backs turned, the naked men hold their arms out, becoming trees gently shedding leaves from their slowly unfurling hands. The ladies dance slowly around the human grove. Autumn draws in.

A carpet of leaves covers the stage. Lopez attacks them with an electric leafblower (I cannot imagine what Vivaldi would make of that!) as the others leap to avoid her ire. Piper becomes a leaf buffeted by the force of her verbal tirade, as well as by the blower.
Twisting, leaping, spinning and breakdancing, he skitters from place to place.
A tent converts into a long yellow flamenco dress which Rachel dons, and she chastises Piper in strident Spanish. He crawls towards her, a prodigal boyfriend, disappearing under the unzipped entrance to the dress/tent. Love is fading as the days shorten.

Robin emerges from his tent with a bin- bag chef’s hat, surfer leggings, and a torso bare except for the masking tape obscuring his nipples! In this strange attire he performs a stunning solo full of autumnal pride, leonine prowling and swan-like grace. But then the swan is hunted and caught, trapped in a noose, the sheep-shank knot (pay attention!) tightening more with every struggle, till he collapses, exhausted.

Winter. Everyone is warmly dressed now, in winter woolies. The movement is slow and reflective, with a feeling of lethargy, an inability to stand. The man-tree waits in solitary bleakness as Tiziana delicately places metal icicles on his fingers. Nature is hibernating, snow is falling .The cycle is complete.

In a surreal ending to beat them all, Tiziana appears in a white net ‘ice-cube’ box which Cody then enters, whereupon he sings a falsetto karaoke version of “Tomorrow” from the musical ‘Annie’.

Pita had taken a much-used theme, a ‘popular’ classic and brought it to life in such an original way, combining elements of comedy and pathos, love and anger, to produce a
wonderfully entertaining evening.

review by
HimInDoors
SheWhoMustBeObeyed
aka Anthony and Mandy Kent