Run Don’t Run is a work of dance choreography by Brian Brooks. Brooks is known for his choreography that pushes the limits of the human body. He was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship for 2013, and in the past he was awarded the NY City Center Fellowship, the Jerome Robbins New Essential Work Grant, and the National Dance Projects Production and Residency Grant. Run Don’t Run is just one of many works of choreography put together by Brooks.
Run Don’t Run was shown at the Brooklyn Academy of Music from October 22-26. The choreography was designed to test and explore the limits of the human body. The dancers began the intense hour-long journey by walking or jumping the length of the stage, which was filled floor to ceiling with bungee cords spanning the entire length of the stage. They would lean and lie on the cords, and occasionally they would change the density of the cords in a specific area, creating entirely new effects. As the hour progressed, each change of choreography got progressively more difficult. Dancers held each other up, over their heads, and walked the length of the stage. They dragged themselves along the floor just using their legs, and they performed hypnotizing partner work, sometimes with three or more people.
The bungee cords were used to cut and distort the dancers’ bodies, showing the same actions from different angles. The glaring blue, white, and red lighting added to the warping of the dancers’ bodies. The partner work done was exceedingly difficult, looking like a fight or a graceful boxing match. When a third person was added, the “fight” took on a whole new form and became even more powerful.
My interpretation of this choreography was one of an abusive relationship to an extent. There were dance combinations that I believe were to show off the strength of the human body, but there were certain dance combinations performed that provoked emotion. When the couples would perform partner work, it seems almost as if they were locked in battle, fighting one another. One partner would seem to be running away, and the other would pull him/her back. When a third party would intrude on the “fight,” it always seemed as if they were pushed out of the way. These dance moves specifically looked graceful yet rough.
Overall, I thought Run Don’t Run was enjoyable. I appreciated the skill and physical endurance the dancers possessed. Dancing like that is not an easy task. I would go to see it again.
