Winner of contest for the best review

Results of the competition for the most interesting review of the performance of The Polish Dance Theatre at IV Atelier Festival

Winner: Maria Chmielowska

Dancers of The Polish Dance Theatre invariably give a demonstration of their passion, perfection and creativity. Creative exploration of Poznan’s Atelier delights still more and more. Paweł Matyasik’s “Voracity” is brilliant example.
This project is “infectious” – it addicts to the point when degenerated masks delight, early scenes of splitting cause thirst, grotesque forms makes your joints ache and smooth interactions between dancers are enchanting and arouse a desire for intimacy with another human being.
“Voracity” is moving, sometimes even shocking, and surely doesn’t leave anybody indifferent. It largely realize artistic views and aspirations of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, whose words are motto for the show (“Voracity is existence itself, primal voracity”): “Everything in art (and who knows if not in life) depends on relations. To deny in oneself, for this most beautiful core, melt into swagger of incredible, superhuman, overcreative greatness, expand within the wind of passion to the limits of a deadly storm, pass through the powerfull, iron and concrete filter of mind and then, from this horrible, accumulated beyond it’s own limits metaphysical water tower pour through narrow tube this clean, cold, enchanted in itself a form as it is – this is art.” According to Witkiewicz basic role of art was to develop in receiver the metaphysical feeling – the sense of distinctiveness from the rest of the world, unique of own existence and contact with the unknown. He claimed that in 20th century mankind began to loose the ability to deeper feeling. Responsible for this decline were mechanization, accelerating of a lifestyle and popularity of mass culture. In this situation art should change and move away from classical, realistic patterns – it was supposed to be the only way to deeper affectation on the receiver. “Voracity” indeed is surreal, psychedelic sometimes and dark phenomenon. It is also breathtaking for its plays with light and hypnotic music. Choreography is slipping from its frames. So that nobody can tell now is it still directed movement or maybe affected madness, actual picture of subconscious imagination. Everything that was made up in order to focus on unrealness of contemporary world, frightening revaluation. All the things are moving too fast and ends with one single clasp, so eventually there isn’t ever time for anything. Constant voracity! 
And this primary – desire of coexistence, proximity, contemporary – painfully tangible. Still not enough… To run! Unsteady! Start! Soon we all bound in straitjackets in one, lonely material race will close ourselves in a plastic circle with no exit and no return. “It is a very comfortable position not to understand” (Witkacy), but you, spectator, feel warned. Maybe we just don’t quite know what is good for us?  Mutiny and struggle with oneself does not always produce a positive effect… 
Undoubtedly it is worth to let yourself go with this unusual spectacle. And if we appreciate remarkable form, or allow yourself a moment of reflection depends only on us.