"It’s all fun and games until we have to lean in and face the ugly truth" - Sarah Roberson, the Critter
“Sometimes I have to lean in...” is an interdisciplinary collaboration between choreographer-performer Alan Parker and director-performer Gerard Bester. It was originally commissioned by the Dance Umbrella in 2018, specifically for the 30th anniversary of the festival, and has since been restaged for the Live Art Festival in Cape Town and, most recently, for the 2024 National Arts Festival in Makhanda, for their 50th anniversary.
The work is a sometimes playful, sometimes dark, consideration of the act of leaning. On one level, the performance is a leaning in of two ageing performers, who lean in closer in order to better see and understand each other. On another level, thisact of leaning is explored as a metaphor for looking back to where you have come from in order to understand where you are now.
It strikes a delicate balance between humour and light-hearted reminiscing, alongside more poignant interrogations of what the passing of time means for us, as humans in the world, as we influence, support, encourage, knock down and ultimately transform each other. “Sometimes I have to lean in…” has been described by critics as “a sheer gem of a work” (Robyn Sassen, My View), “a moment of triumph” (Mike Loewe, Daily Dispatch), and “highly recommended” (Sarah Roberson, The Critter).
Production Credits
Choreographer & Performer: Alan Parker
Director & Performer: Gerard Bester
Dramaturg: Gavin Krastin
Text ("Wallflower"): Gwydion Beynon
Age restriction: 14+ Strong language
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