Words Yulia White
What is the Movement of the Human?
Soul, kiss, protest, freedom, dance, voice, hands, body. You name it. Personally, to me, it’s life.
MOTH (movement of the human) is a creative design company developed by Malia Johnston with creative collaborators Rowan Pierce, musician Eden Mulholland and Ian Hammond. Their production captures powerful emotions and filtere it into movements of dance, music and sonic sounds. It throws performers with the audience, who have no idea what to expect prior and during the show.
It’s about unveiling the plot. What kind of story? It’s your own. The production of this story is unique, its not your typical classical ballet or theatre. If you love big orchestras, then Moth may be a foreign concept, however, you may also be pleasantly surprised.
I smiled during the show, was amazed as I engaged visually with the performers. Like myself, you will wonder and you will question your sanity! It’s totally up to you how you decide to act or conduct your behaviour during the show.
Perhaps, the most natural reaction I observed during the performance, was a child’s amongst the audience. There was a 2-3 year old girl, who was dancing, clapping and duplicating the movement of the artists. She was the only one who got the show the way it was meant to be. She was entwined with the music, beholding dance, her childlike connection the key to its success. She felt it perfectly, others a little more cautiously.
When you are not sitting down in front of the stage, take time to walk around and observe, feel and participate. MOTH trys to reconnect with your mind. We live in a bubble at a rushed pace, but the show demands we slow down. Interact with the music, forget your daily routine, and just follow the lead.
It’s not an easy task. Powerful sounds get through your skin, modern and contemporary movements remind you of your past, it takes you back to the time when you were careless and exposed to the world. Remember those tunes that would pump through your stereo and cause you to dance around the room with insane energy? That’s how I felt watching Moth. All right, maybe not exactly like that, but you get the idea.
This idealistic group of individuals deliver a freedom of movement that humans don’t always want to reconnect with. Now, to go back to my first paragraph, and answer the question: What is the movement of the human? After seeing the show I feel I know this. Keep an open mind and i’m confident you will to.
