The otherworldly delight of Pell Ensemble's 'Hinterlands'

Image: Pell Ensemble in Hinterlands | Photographer: Mira Loew

The dance studio has always represented possibility and play for me. To simply be. Pell Ensemble dives into a Virtual Reality existence via visual manipulation of organic fantasy, layering an alternative plane on top of the studio space. The premise of Hinterlands is based on extremophiles, introducing an unfamiliar environment to an everyday space. A creature in the form of a dancer, Anthony Daly Luna, guides us into the Hinterlands with silent kinaesthetic communication.

Participants are welcome to move how they wish, interacting with biological animations layered over the reality of the dance studio via VR headset, or they can simply sit and observe. But the real magic of Hinterlands is in moving. Organic shapes – plant-like tendrils, luminous bubbles, vermillion bean-like clusters – invite interaction from walking through them to physically echoing their natural flow. These elements linger long enough to be toyed with in movement, but shift gradually with intervals of emptiness so the surreal landscape of the Hinterlands builds gradually and is received naturally by the body. The creature forms a tangible link with the Hinterlands: Daly Luna, clad in an orange unitard speckled with yellow and streaked with soft reds, passes through my conscious sphere. Colossal tardigrades materialise in and out of the space, Luna moving with them and sometimes merging. His human form embodies the extremophile, crouching, bending, flicking. Far from being a technology only suited for play (although much of Hinterlands is play), fusion between dance and VR organic matter removes participants’ bodies from the typical. When you step into Hinterlands, you become something “other”, and embrace freedom.

Image: Pell Ensemble in Hinterlands | Photographer: Mira Loew

Although much of Hinterlands is generated through VR, the totality of experiencing it lies in a somatic dimension. To interact with its living matter is to take on a physical understanding and interpretation of organic form and movement, from a gentle swaying rooted in the body’s core to the stretch of vertebrae in response to twisting plant life. The human element exists in those exploring the Hinterlands, alongside Luca’s hybridity as a dancing body half transformed into something otherworldly. He offers an openness that conjures a warmth to the piece, inviting us into a duet as a means of silent communication. We touch palm-to-palm, and guide our hands through our kinespheres, moving mutually in steady transit through literal and metaphorical space. Far from awkward or stilted, dancing together feels natural, an extension of listening in its deepest form. Luca’s sensitivity as a dancer creates a comfortable atmosphere that avoids being invasive, encouraging immersion into Hinterlands and the suspension of everyday reality. 

The overall impact of Hinterlands is a gentle acceptance of a temporary reality, delving into another dimension of playfulness in the twenty-first century. The partnership between VR and dance is still relatively new, but Pell Ensemble approaches it with a considered balance between digital surrealism and kinaesthetic freedom. My own experience can only reflect my love of movement and willingness to escape banal, typical reality - no doubt that others broaching the Hinterlands may discover something different.

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Hinterlands took place at The Dance Space in Brighton as part of Dreamy Place festival.