DANCING, WITHOUT HEARING
Michikazu Matsune unleashes a "Sign Storm" at brut Vienna
by Sabina Holzer
The theatre is a public meeting place. As such it offers the
possibility for issues to arise and to be reflected on which usually
find little or no space in the mainstream media. As with the new
project, Zeichensturm, by Vienna-based Japanese choreographer Michikazu
Matsune, which was presented at Vienna’s brut im Künstlerhaus, bringing
communication through sign language to the fore.
Sign language consists of combined signs, which are primarily formed by
the hands, in
connection with facial expressions and mouth movements (silently spoken
words or syllables) and in relation to the respective posture. An
independent, visually perceivable natural language is called a sign
language. In contrast to artificial languages (e.g. programming
languages), natural languages use gestures, facial expressions and tone
of voice or speech melody for the modulation of communication.
Particularly deaf and hard of hearing people use sign language as a
means of communication. It is part of the group of minority languages.
One can also say that sign language is a complex, dense choreographic
system, within which signs and intensities circulate, thus appearing as
dynamic, reflexive conditions. A system like this, sign language opens
up different possibilities of accessing it – depending on what the
expectations are: whether this be the desire to get clear information
from this system or rather examples of the correlations and connections
stored within.
Dream, hope and concept
With Zeichensturm, Matsune, the brilliant performers and the artistic
team have not only succeeded in bringing out these two aspects. As a
cross-generational group of deaf and speaking people, they have
furthermore also given a voice to an impressive diversity. Since this
community included people of different skin colour – without raising
issue like nationality or enthnicity – one cold speak of
“multiculturalism” in the best sense of the word, or simply of the
inclusion of an essential, contemporary phenomenon which is rarely
accomodated so naturally in performances.
In a constant back and forth between signs as written language, as
gestures, as sound and as spoken
language, different well-known media formats are presented. Three video
screens, suspended from the top third of the stage, serve as
translation surfaces: So when, for example, at the beginning of the
piece the performers show terms like "dream", "hope", "concept",
"regret" and "tears" in sign language, written “subtitles” appear on
the monitors. By dividing the language into different word groups, such
as nouns, names or terms for different dishes, the spectators are
introduced to the system of sign language. Switching between live
performance and recordings of experience reports, news reports (in the
style of the Vienna-based internet channel for the deaf, "signtime TV
"), interpretations of pop songs, dancing in front of and with others,
listening to and making music as well as a talk show, Matsune manages
to bring different systems simultaneously to the stage. Pop culture is
used here to playfully deal with differences and to subvert possible
prejudices (against deaf people, but also against women, men, black
Africans, Asians or Austrians).
The choreographer uses signs as body language, as inherent,
performative material which he connects to systems of perception, in a
subtle way educating the audience about the subject matter. In small
and big stories from everyday life, the fact that deafness was, and
still is, often wrongly associated with mental disability comes up for
discussion. We hear about the experiences of older deaf people during
the NS regime, but also about the wrong assumption that deaf people
cannot dance because they allegedly don’t perceive music. The pop songs
(including Michael Jackson: "Black or White", or Sha: "Scheiß Scheiß
Baby ") in Zeichensturm are partly played at full volume and with heavy
bass, demonstrating that it is also possible to perceive music through
vibrations.
Zeichensturm is light and entertaining, neither cynical nor
sentimental. It is a smart and very considerate work. The evening gives
the audience, which incidentally was just as diverse as the group of
performers, insights without exposing them. You see the others, you see
yourself. And know that you are part of this story, and know of the
validity claim (which, according to Habermas, is the basis of every
speech act) that permeates this story. Namely, that different
existences and their condition and demands are valid, and that this
validity must be considered. Because diversity is the actual majority
of our society.
-
Published in corpusweb
on 22
February 2011
Translated from German by Martina Gimplinger