‘Three by Ekman’ more than dance
LOOKING down at her thighs, Laura Saxton Jones is not surprised to see bruises emerging. Having performed in all three of Alexan der Ekman’s pieces the night before, the Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer admitted it really pushed them all.
‘‘It’s so funny, you are pushing so much it’s like you get a second wind from the amount of fun you’re having.’’
The bruises are from Tuplet, which required the dancers to slap their thighs and bums rhythmically.
‘‘That’s all because we are so into it. We give 100%.’’
Saxton Jones, an Australian with ‘‘Kiwi’’ citizenship in her fifth year with the company, performed in RNZB’s production of Cacti last year, so had an idea of what she was in for this season.
‘‘I loved last year, but this is a level up. We’ve kind of evolved into a new layer of excitement. We’ve been more adventurous; I’ve certainly been more adventurous.’’
A big fan of Ekman’s choreography, Saxton Jones says it enables the dancers to really explore what their bodies can do. ‘‘He’s fantastic. We have been very lucky . . . to have him for 10 days. We’re
spoilt.’’
Saxton Jones said it was important to get into the right headspace and to be focused because the work required such precision.
‘‘You have to be on point, if you miss a step, you see it. That’s the fun part.’’
The works also call for the dancers to speak, which was not normal for them, but Saxton Jones says the vocal chords are just another part of the body to make use of.
‘‘With Ekman it is more than dance, it’s a theatre production.’’
The vigorous movement required by Ekman’s works resulted in the dancers using different muscles from those used in a traditional ballet.
‘‘It’s been exciting to have this challenge. To aim for perfection is exciting.’’