A few years ago, a journalist named Sam Anderson noticed a strange piece of news. The last male specimen of the endangered species, the last known northern wide-mouthed rhinoceros, died, leaving the two remaining females as the last specimens of the subspecies.
With them, the northern branch of the massive wilderness would practically die out.
Anderson was so moved by this that he traveled to Kenya to watch these two women live out their final years, along with their species, on the brink of extinction. Seeing the animals’ ignorance of the inevitable end that threatens their species, as they go about their days as usual, totally unconcerned, the journalist finds peace on the brink of a global crisis.
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Photos: Gaston Corr – and Louie – the last northern white rhinoPhoto: Timea Karip/Index
ignore everything
This story caught the attention of choreographer Gaston Kaur. Discover some helpless rampage, and the chosen calm between the lines. He wanted to transfer this to the theatre, where he found a form of his own. He enlisted the help of famous dancer Ollie to make this happen, and together they created a semi-dance monogram – which at the beginning looked more like a kinetic theatrical performance, then slowly grew into itself.
According to the concept, they mixed different urban dance styles,
prosody is built with those. As you watch the performance, you begin to associate it with the journalist’s story. Slow recognition, then shock, acceptance, surrender, unbridled exuberance, and reaction to the world.
Olewi’s interpretation swung between extremes. Complete and conscious control of the body, from sheer fluidity to robotic, tip-to-tip movement, to spasm-like jerking, he demonstrated astonishing professionalism while battling the elements in the heat of the sun, in black from head to toe. Of particular note is the play of his eyesight, which was constantly neutral, not conveying the slightest bit of information, except when he wanted it to. At certain moments, a sea of emotions and thoughts returned to him, while his movements fattened the experience he had received in the ocean.
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Photos: Gaston Corr – and Louie – the last northern white rhinoPhoto: Timea Karip/Index
global result
Although we couldn’t put a direct story behind it, that’s what made it special. His thoroughness and extreme professionalism allowed countless interpretations. It can be placed behind any life path in any context, as it is precisely the details that create the opportunity to learn about the small experiences that can be discovered in all areas of life,
which we ourselves tend to forget.
We’ve seen emotional, comforting, understated and professional performances that once disappeared on stage and once filled it up. The production was presented twice at the festival, and we saw the last flight of the rhino on Saturday in Sziget.
Although the performance had a strong impact on the audience, The Carrot Man left us with mixed feelings at the end. He introduced the events, but in the end he practically ruined the experience as he screamed and tried to take off his costume on stage. Well, there are always surprises on the island.
(Cover photo: Timea Karip / Index)
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