Rhythm, a steady pulse, and invisible impulses — Im Puls, the new work by the Landesbühnen Sachsen dance company with locations in Dresden and Radebeul, is as calming as the relaxed activity in an aquarium. Ensemble leader Natalie Wagner and her dancers have created a river in which a school of fish appears to be swimming, but without any direct imitation of water or actual fish. This school is an organic entity in itself, composed, how could it be otherwise, of individuals. This attentive connection with one another, this mindfulness for one another, are both the core of this choreography and a reflection of the ensemble's general working practices.
The pulse from the title only becomes noticeable after some time; it cannot appear in any individual moment. And the audience also needs this time to get involved. The pulsation is only seemingly driven forward by Nikolaus Woernle's music, but in reality it is the dancers who set the timing: the sounds react live to the pulse of the ensemble. This organism, in other words, moves of its own accord. The bigger picture is furthermore held together by the costumes (Tom Böhm), which at first glance appear uniform, all in pale tones, sometimes pink, sometimes beige, depending on the light. In the end, however, in completely ordinary light, it becomes clear that what we are dealing with are different shades of a lighter basic color, variations of skin tones.
