…Two performance events at nottdance08 were chosen by panels of audience members. One of them by was by a group of 16–19 year olds. And it has to be said their choice was excellent. They decided to present a double bill consisting of works by Turkey’s acclaimed Taldans Company and German-born emerging choreographer Gabriele Reuter. Whereas Taldans’ Sek Sek, an investigation of various states of instability, is certainly an engaging and intriguing work, Reuter’s solo piece Inventory/(Räumung) is a true discovery.
Like Domínguez, Reuter uses words to trigger the audience’s imagination. This time it’s spoken text and she blends it with movement. As her piece is about to begin, she tells us, “Before I start, I want to talk a little bit about the spatial arrangements here.” And this is exactly what she goes on to do. Integrating dance with philosophical musings on notions of time and space, Reuter takes us on a tour across the empty stage, imbuing different parts of the space with certain characteristic traits. For example, she introduces us to a spot near centre-stage which, according to her, is a “vague space.” Appropriately, she can’t tell us much about it. Then there is the space in which “to tell something personal.” Reuter comically refuses to go near it, as she feels she doesn’t know the audience well enough yet. There is also the corner for mother tongue. The moment she enters it, she starts speaking German. Reuter is a charismatic performer with considerable charm and a real knack for communicating with an audience. She seduces us with quirkiness and a light touch without ever leaving any doubt about the conceptual rigour and the genuine interest driving her investigation into the complex relationship between dance and space.
Evening Standard Nottingham
Preview: Nottdance08 - Friday, October 17 2008,
NOTTINGHAM'S annual festival of contemporary dance and movement opens today with an
international flourish: Kate McIntosh (New Zealand) at the Sandfield Theatre (8pm) followed
tomorrow by Juan Dominguez (Spain) at Lakeside Arts Centre.
An increasingly familiar face presents one of next week's highlights. German artist Gabriele
Reuter gives the world premiere of her solo show Inventory / (Raumung) – a piece developed
during her residency with Nottdance organisers Dance4, the Nottingham-based dance
agency.
"Until recently I had been involved in a lot of complex collaborations involving different media,"
says the Berlin-based performer who studied arts management and contemporary dance at
Leicester's De Montfort University.
"I felt I needed to do something simple and straightforward and this is the first time I have
worked solo."
Inventory is described as a personal journey across a completely empty stage: "She opens
invisible doors, explores empty places and uncovers forgotten corners. Blending text and
movement with philosophies on time and space, Inventory investigates the process of
continuous listing, defining dance and the space in which we dance."
Reuter explains that the process began with her realisation that she wanted to be transparent
in what she achieved on stage; that she needed to establish clear rules about the space she
works in and how it is used.
The accompanying text is her own. "Some things are best said using movement, but others
are best achieved using words," she says.
"It has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I have had a lot of encouragement from
Dance4."
The 35-minute Inventory / Räumung opens a double-bill at Lakeside on Tuesday (8pm). The
programme selected by the Nottdance festival's Young People's Panel is completed by the
Mustafa Kaplan and Filiz Sizanli duet Sek Sek.
In the piece created by the Turkish artists, a man and a woman investigate different states of
instability.
Kaltstart Theaterfestival Hamburg – July 2008
Review Hamburgtheater.de - Birgit Schmalmack vom 12.7.08
…zuvor konnte man einem besonderen Ereignis im Saal beiwohnen: Gabriele Reuter, eine Tänzerin und Pantomimin aus London/Berlin, zeigte in einer Voraufführung ihr neues Stück "Inventur". Sie schlägt in ihrer Performance die Brücke zwischen Tanz und Text. Sie führt den Zuschauer auf der völlig leeren Bühne durch verschiedene Tanzräume, die sie wahlweise mit Bewegung oder Sprache füllen kann. Sie erklärt, wo sich die unsichtbaren Türen befinden, hinter der sich die Inspiration für ein neues Stück verstecken könnte. Sie weist auf den kleinen Raum hin, in dem Platz für persönliche Statements sei. Sie zeigt den großen Platz in der Mitte, der für die weit ausladenden Tanzszenen reserviert ist. Sie erklärt, warum sie sich an einer Stelle der Bühne nur kriechend fortbewegen kann und an einer anderen stets ins Stolpern gerät. Reuter erlaubt auf äußerst charmante Art einen Einblick in die Entstehung eines Tanzstücks. Unprätentiös und selbstironisch ermöglicht sie so einen neuen, spannenden Zugang zur ansonsten sprachlosen Kunst des Tanzes.
