When experimental South African choreographer Robyn Orlin creates a show, the title is never simple. Her new piece 'In a world full of butterflies, it takes balls to be a caterpillar... some thoughts on falling' draws together themes as varied as painting, the 9/11 attacks, mythology, dance, racism and cinema.
Always out of the ordinary, Orlyn surprises with her originality and her extraordinary ability to mix genres. Opera, fine art and dance all feed her need to explore and understand in order to tell stories better. This piece explores the concept of falling, through myths like Icarus and the Tower of Babel to the reality of the attacks of the World Trade Centre. There’s a wink to Wim Wenders’ ‘Wings of Desire’, and lots of powerful influences from singers like Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. This impressive catalogue of references equips her to explore the vertigo which affects us all, the fall that is the number one phobia of all dancers, and an ingenious metaphor for the modern condition.