Losing It and In Between – trauma informed dance that makes physical the anguish of conflict (Belfast International Arts Festival at the MAC until Saturday 26 October) #BIAF24

The trauma of our circumstances and situation, not to mention the inherited trauma from previous generations, can affect our bodies, our movement, our minds. Losing It sees Palestinian choreographer and dancer Samaa Wakim move along, around, under and over a long stretch of tape. Her manner veers from being tentative, to being almost giddy with exuberant joy, to being physically fearful.

The soundtrack blends the noise of traffic, emergency sirens, military vehicles and fireworks, all played over a disconcerting bed of pink noise. Intended to be played live by Samar Haddad King, at this evening’s performance the DJ decks and microphone to one side of the stage remained unmanned to remind audiences that it was impossible for Samar to travel to Belfast.

Samaa Wakim’s sense of balance, both at ground level and later in the air – the tape feels like ‘Chekhov’s tightrope’ right from the start – is impressive. Losing It was devised long before the 7 October attacks last year and the subsequent conflict. Some of the sounds were recorded a decade ago, but Samar has continued to remix more contemporary noises into the soundtrack. The symbolism of the movement, and the poignancy of the physical tape representing borders, balance/equilibrium and barriers is heightened by the recent events.

Esam Sultan from the Palestinian Circus School opened the evening with another performance – In Between – that uses a tape. This time it was thicker, tied onto his ankle and secured to a fixed point off stage, limiting the performers locus of free movement. While his freedom was frustrated and curtailed, there was still room for creative expression, cartwheels and headstands. A cry for help and an audience member’s intervention changed the dynamic, yet the very presence of the tape still created a sense of struggle and legacy.

Dance offers a universal language – albeit it one subject to much interpretation and even misunderstanding and head-scratching by reviewers! – that can transcend place, and people and time. Your mind can freewheel as you draw together the visual and auditory elements to construct the story. (Though the post-show chat with the performers – including Samar who joined remotely – reminded the audience that conflict can also crush the urge to create and play.)

There’s another chance to enjoy Losing It and In Between in the MAC on Saturday 26 October as part of Belfast International Arts Festival which continues until 26 November.

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