The Perfect Human

The piece starts by presenting us with the perfect human and ends with an anxious getaway with helicopter sounds looming above. Apart from its dense character other strong aspects of this piece are the contagious music – which alternates between rhythmic drums and lyrical classical music – and the relentless movement that is carried throughout.

Choreographer Hofesh Shechter uses the title, The Perfect Human, in an ironic and thought-provoking manner, questioning the man-made concept of perfection. Juxtaposing edgy, obsessive movements with the questions ‘How does the perfect human move?’, ‘Why does he move like that?’, the feeling is one of uncomfortable but compulsive interest in finding out what will happen next.

Stine Nelson & Pedro Machado (Co- Artistic Directors) About: The Perfect Human Choreographed by Hofesh Shechter

‘What do you expect from me?’ said Hofesh on the first day of rehearsals.

Setting the premise for asking questions rather than giving answers, the first six weeks in the studio as off to a kick-start. Hofesh’s movement spilt out like quicksilver; and endless supply of undulating bodies, tender hands and articulate floor work, he was always keen to weave the energy of this particular group of people into his movement vocabulary. It was fascinating to watch the dancers tapping into Hofesh’s world through his amazing use of imagery- a shortcut to intense and engaging movement quality!

Music ultimately sets the atmosphere and mood of a piece, and in Hofesh’s case he also created it. Hearing the score of baroque strings and computerised beats being compromised beats being composed in the studio alongside the movement was a truly live experience! The text within the sound score came from another source of inspiration; the Danish film Det Perfekte Menneske or The Perfect Human by Jorgen Leth. The text dissects and analyses; ‘How does the perfect human move?’, ‘Why does he move like that?’

With a group of dancers that also begs to question stereotypical perfection, Hofesh uses the title, The Perfect Human in an ironic and thought provoking manner, questioning the man-made concept of perfection. Juxtaposing edgy, obsessive movements with the questions above, the feeling is one of uncomfortable but compulsive interest in finding out what will happen next.

What did we expect of Hofesh? An interesting mix of his exciting and precise movement, utilising Candoco’s unique dancers, What we got is a piece that not only upholds one of Candoco’s main quests, to always be asking what we can do differently, but that also dares and excites and does not answer to expectations!

We are watching the Candoco Dance Company…whose every performance challenges our preconceptions about art and ability. Celebrating the performers’ skill and dedication, Mr Shechter transforms their tough reality into the substance of his slyly ironic piece.

Country Life, 2008