By Lucy Komisar

Why are people aggressive, why do they hurt others? How does the tension of life make people aggressive when they don’t want to be? That is the theme of a very contemporary and relevant and very smart dance piece by the Belgian company DTS, which uses hip-hop as a means of expression and reflection on contemporary themes.

With well-turned choreography by Laurent Reunbrouck, it reflects on the tensions that weigh on human existence, those that come through introspection and through collective experience. This is active, strong criticism of society, which dance is doing when other parts of the social order have ignored such responsibility.

It starts with individual experience. There are sounds of airplane engines, blue light, the message You don’t want to hurt anyone. The dancers are separated.

But then dancers become aggressive. They move, hit, push others, Run at each other, knocking them down, In a jumble, grasping at each in a crowd , but declaring, “You don’t want to hurt anyone”

But there are accusations, “It’s him, it’s not him.”

To pounding drums a man comes out with bands around his body. The others hold the ends that pull him. They move twist up and down

Then you hear a soft sax jazz

“It was me from the beginning.” “I know it was him.”

Then another, holding his hand up, fist charging, smashing arms. “It wasn’t him. It was me.”

Who is responsible?

This company performs in Belgium and throughout Europe. Hope it makes the trip to the U.S. See the Video.

“Sous Tension.” DTS, Belgium. Théâtre Golovine, 1 Bis rue Sainte-Catherine, Avignon. Choreography by Laurent Reunbrouck. Dancers Laurent Reunbrouck, Maxime Van Hecke, Lou Delannoy, Yasmin Peycker, Stephanie Bukasa-Nsenga, Laurie Depas, Clara Soto, Stephanie Van Laethem, Jade Taeymans, Lia Illeghem, Lien Plaum, Morgane Van Ruyssevelt, Zoé Verdurmen. Photos Didier Block. Runtime 55 min. July 3 to 21, 2024.  Festival OFF Avignon.