PACK premieres in the UK this Edinburgh Fringe as part of the ‘Made in Germany’ showcase. With artistic direction and choreography by Chiara de’ Nobili and Alexander Miller, this dynamic dance work appears very much at home in Scotland’s National Centre for Dance: Dance Base.
There are five dancers; five individuals. Together, they are one group; one pack. With the intention of breaking down the stereotypes of group dynamics in hip hop and breaking environments, PACK takes us on a journey that questions: what creates togetherness? What connects us? How do we find a common place?
Within any social group, there can be challenging group dynamics. Even though the theme draws specifically on hip hop and breaking culture, audience members can likely relate to the highs and lows of social relationships that are experienced in everyday life.
The emotional depth in PACK is somewhat surprising. The audience is taken on quite a journey, from the light-hearted opening, to moments of tension and disagreement, to empathy and tenderness. There are even some humorous highlights thrown in too; the use of voice and even a short burst of singing was unexpected but rather refreshing.
Ultimately, we see a group testing their bodies to the absolute limits. They do so in seemingly all dance styles, from hip hop to breaking to contemporary and everything in between. Nothing seems impossible for dancers Nam Tran Xuan, Niklas Capel, Egon Gerber, Anton Schalnich and Sem Deliveyne.
The staging is simple, but this only highlights the dancers more. When a performance doesn’t depend heavily on costumes, props, set and staging, it’s vital the performers can hold their own. The relatively plain clothes and lighting enhance this performance, doing enough to ensure the focus is always on the dancers.
Strong and powerful yet tender and sensitive, every dancer here is absolutely engaged and not afraid to commit emotionally. All in all, PACK is an hour-long display of physicality, artistry and unity. Five incredible individual dancers; one powerful pack.
