Ridiculous, surreal, pornographic - just three words which do no justice to this art performance dance by Italian group CollectivO CineticO. The deadpan performers stay straight-faced throughout this gloriously absurd piece based on the txt emoticon for a laughing face (XD). Teeth feature prominently, referencing the reasons behind why we smile whilst simultaneously poking fun at the online representation of an emotion.
Desmond Morris in The Naked Ape said that any social contact is fear inducing and the baring of teeth in simians is a fear response. The choreographer played with ideas of comfort, laughter, and the unnerving in various ways to demonstrate this concept. Using dental devices which stretched open their mouths into a horror-movie-style grimace, the performers warped their chiseled bodies into inexplicable contortions. Gnashing wind-up teeth provide some of the only sound effects, every click of the plastic dentures acting like a metronome to the performance, reminding the audience this is a highly choreographed dance.
Making the pleasurable uncomfortable, the half-naked performers wore a dog collar-cone and a spiderman mask in parody of superheroes. A performer in Superman emblazoned mini-briefs makes a child-like attempt at flying like the man of steel, testing the strength of his fellow performers as he launches himself into their arms to recreate the iconic flying pose. Sticking on manga eyes to continue the comic book theme, two dancers perform a sensual dance mocking and mimicking each other.
Each skit is meticulously prepared in silence, building apprehension as to what bizarre interpretation of modern culture will come next. The build up to the toothpaste race is a study in building expectations, winding up the audience and playing to the child within us all. The audience is supposed to feel both discomfort and joy. The choreographer’s ambitions are clear, though not always perfectly executed. Perhaps the postmodernist performance was a little over deconstructed. The Italian collective have pushed the boundaries with XD, but sometimes the audience are left behind.
