Is the question I was left contemplating after the performance of Caramel at East Street Arts. Honesty is something one audience member shared when we, the audience, were asked what we would like to ‘taste’- other appetising aspirations included moonbeams, summer solstice and well, obviously, caramel. I found this deliciously thought-provoking: such a simple idea to be able to taste concepts that we may hold precious. Now I didn’t think i was going to be able to make this show as i had double-booked myself, and was working in the midlands on wednesday. So it’s a testament to how much i wanted to see this piece,that I made it back.It was the idea of edible choreography that was so appealing to me. Conceptually brilliant, Caramel has been created by Rita Marcalo and the company, in collaboration with artist Gary Winters and Croatian dramaturge Ivana Ivkovic. It was commissioned by Theatre in the Mill, and I have to say, it had me on the edge of my seat in total fascination.
So how shall I describe the flavour of this event…tantalizing, gripping, sententious, an assault on the senses perhaps? We saw caramel in all it’s playful glory – sticky, gooey, curly textures created, heated, stirred, percolated, cooled, sculpted, caressed and consumed. You could say that it was a truly caramelising sensation. This is not the first time that I have seen food combined conceptually with dance performance. Jamie Oliver’s food revolution had young people ‘flashmob style’ assembling cooking stations then tossing food into woks to sizzle and serve, and nine years ago, I saw Rui Horta’s choreography on Random Dance Company in “ Polar sequences” which had a chef frying at the back of the stage with visuals and sounds of heat and food merging for our entertainment.
However, Caramel took this concept to a whole new level. I think the choice of caramel specifically, over other foods worked really well. There is something about caramel: it’s texture and colour; the process of creating it being a transformation of sugar by heat and the removal of moisture. I really felt that the material did fully explore the qualities of caramel. The highlight for me were the lamps that hung from the ceiling that reminded me of old gas lights. I loved watching them gradually metamorphose, the orange colour of what appeared to be glass starting to melt, forming caramelised threads that sweetly cascaded into sumptuous patterns on the floor below. This was surprisingly captivating and had an hypnotic pull as they were launched pendulum-like into the space:the performers slicing between and beneath, in repeated hair-raising ‘close shaves’. The lights were a genius of craftsmanship being attached with clips that made them so adaptable and movable. The way they could change the space was particularly stunning. I revelled in this gustative, olfactive, perceptual experience, especially when we got to finally eat the caramel….mmmm. More please.
Look out for the next instalment in 2013 – I guarantee, you’ll be dangling on tenterhooks sooner than i can say “edible choreography”.
Zoe Parker is a choreographer and dance artist who blogs about culture, dance and wellbeing. She is one part of @yorkslifeaqua a dry land synchronised swimming team coming to a water feature near you.