When the dancers first began stomping, clapping, and slapping their thighs in a circle with their eyes taped over, their movements seemed random, almost clownish. However, the repetition of these movements soon began to take on a rhythm for me, where every performer remained unified and in-sync with each other. It was interesting to see this unity change throughout the performance, as they gradually began dancing while facing away from each other, and finally dancing in different directions. It was almost an organized chaos, with the dancers hopping in different directions yet performing the same exact patterns of stamping, clapping, and slapping.
The occasional additions of humor really picked up the performance since it broke away from the two hours worth of constant repetition of the traditional Bavarian dance. It was so easy to get lost and distracted in the repetitions until there was a change. For example, early in the show, the dancer in the suspenders (the one who left the earliest) had a solo, where at one point he lifted his legs straight up in the air just to have one of the other dancers knock him down, which was a startling move in comparison to the rest of the dance. There was also humor in spotting one dancer straying away or becoming isolated from the group; this was kind of an acknowledgement to the both physical and emotional exhaustion that came along with the strenuous dance.
The last part of the dance really was the highlight of the performance for me. The background music was much more attention-grabbing (like the one with the British singer), and it was interesting to see how the dancers adjusted the rhythm of their movements to fit the songs. Once “Say Something” came on, and the dancers ran off the stage while the singers sang “I’m giving up on you,” it really brought the audience back to the beginning of the performance, when one of the dancers had explained that anyone, audience members and dancers alike, was free to leave at anytime of the performance. Seeing the dancers run off the stage in exhaustion after two hours of thigh-slapping, foot-stomping, and hopping (which was an amazing feat) really emphasized how aware the performers were of this mystical, invigorating, and exhausting dance.
