Unsung

When Rex Levitates’ artistic director Liz Roche is questioned about her reasons for bringing Unsung to this year’s Festival Fringe she replies that “it was something different for the company with a very strong live element to it.” However, as the history and context of Roche’s ideas for creating the piece unravel, it becomes clear that Unsung offers much more than just originality and live music. It also questions the notion of cultural identity and tradition, while examining their place within the modern arts and society.

The impetus for this exploration stemmed from Roche’s experiences and observations as an Irish citizen.“This piece deals with my personal struggle between my own perceived cultural identity and the reality of being an Irish modern dancer/choreographer who is formed by various experiences not necessarily grounded in an Irish context."

Co-creator of Unsung, musician Michael O’Suilleabhain, has also explored cultural identity through his past work - experimenting with the use of traditional music with modern instrumentation rather than relying on traditional Irish instruments. When Roche created Unsung, she applied a similar idea of placing the modern dancers’ body within the structure of traditional Irish step dancing. “I decided to situate the Irish modern dancer in the context of an Irish traditional session and not question the right of this dancing body to be there. The result is Unsung," she says.

The piece originally grew from many months of email correspondence with O’Suilleabhain and was eventually developed into a short film. The narrative followed Roche’s unexpected encounter with a traditional Irish set in a pub, providing a platform for Roche to indulge her contemporary movement ideas within a traditional setting.

The stage version follows the same theme, but minus the pub and with the addition of three more modern dancers: “two boys and two girls being the smallest amount that can take part in traditional step dancing." As Roche explains: “The film was an opportunity to look at one aspect of this idea in detail and in a slightly more narrative way. The stage version is a lot more abstract and covers more of a range of anecdotal explorations.”

The piece is built using the framework of the traditional Irish set. Yet, as “Irish dancing is not expressive, and the music and singing is so completely expressive” Roche decided to inject “a fluidity or freedom to the dancing, basically, have a bit of fun with them”. With O’Suilleabhain’s musical expertise acting as inspiration for the choreography, the dancers utilise their freedom of expression to achieve harmony between the music and movement.

As founder of the Irish World Academy of Music, first Chair of Music at the University of Limerick and an acclaimed Irish composer, O’Suilleabhain has extensive knowledge of traditional Irish arts. The dancers, however, were less familiar with the traditional Irish “session”. Roche feels that this is partly because Irish heritage, as is the case for many countries, is fading through the generations.

“My grandparents’ generation would have been absolutely connected with the Irish language, music and dance, and so as children we would have witnessed music and dancing at grave-sides even. I feel that connection slipping away as that generation has moved on, so there was something about making this piece that also lets us connect with that element of being 'Irish'."
Both Roche and O’Suilleabhain’s approach towards Unsung resonate strongly with Winston Churchill’s famous quote on art and tradition: “Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse." Perhaps Unsung is the innovative vehicle being used to resuscitate a fading tradition, helping to bridge the gaps that have grown across generations. By bringing it to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, an arena designed for the sharing of global cultures and celebrating art in every imaginable context, it provides the ideal setting to toast the virtues of tradition.

Unsung will be performed by Grant McLay, Matthew Morris, Katherine O’Malley and Roche, with live musical accompaniment from O’Suilleabhain and Iarla O’Lionaird: “one of Ireland’s most celebrated sean nos, or 'old style' singers." Roche describes the piece as “very simply a dance and music piece that never rests”. The exciting collaboration with live musicians draws the audience in with an almost “hypnotic" feeling.

In the past, Roche has been praised for not being tied to just one particular choreographic identity. This means that Rex Levitates are performing consistently varied and stimulating dance, and Unsung is clearly no exception. This is a wonderful opportunity to watch one of Ireland’s most prolific choreographers in an intimate setting.