Little Bang Theory at Suoni Per Il Popolo

After a successful run at Pop Montreal in 2007 and at the OFF.T.A. this year, where it was one of the only two shows to be presented before sold-out crowds, the multidisciplinary show Little Bang Theory is making one more stop, this time at the Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival. Singer of international renown Lhasa and visual designer March Hutchinson team up with choreographers/dancers Hanako Hoshimi-Caines and Louise-Michel Jackson to create a show that works like a well oiled machine.

Hoshimi-Caines and Jackson are great dancers; the first now dances with Compagnie Flak (José Navas), the latter for RubberBanDance Group (Victor Quijada). In the world they create, even the smallest gestures can engender great violence. The dance partners are not afraid to be antagonistic (prepare to witness the most believable slap you’ve ever seen onstage) and truly create a narrative of a relationship between two characters as different sections unfold. The show is well structured, alternating between dynamic numbers and calmer periods after the storm.

It’s rare to experience live singing at a dance show and Lhasa is more than anyone could ask for. Her voice is bewitching and it’s nice to witness how music and dance affect each other when they are both performed live, feeding off each other. The animation, often used as interlude between dance sections, is simple but effective. Clocking in at about 45 minutes, Little Bang Theory is short but sweet.

Little Bang Theory is performed at Sala Rossa on Sunday, June 14, at 3:30pm and 8:30pm. Tickets are 15$ and can be purchased at the Sala Rossa/Casa Del Popolo office or by phone (514.284.0122). Cheap Thrills, L’Oblique, Atom Heart, and Phonopolis also have some tickets.