REVIEW:
conversation (2007)
by Erika Eichelberger

Dance is, of course, a (mostly) wordless form of communication, but Floanne Ankah’s “Conversation” is quite literally that: a dialogue of movement and sound between two creatures in a geographically unknown, but psychologically familiar land.
The piece begins in silence with Jil Guyon standing before a projection of lush plant life in a flowing white dress with a vine-like train. Her hand covers her face and as she walks toward the audience and off stage, she extends it toward the audience, as if offering us something, maybe an invitation into their world.
Ankah and eleven-year-old Maia Sage-Ermansons then enter, running towards one another, pause a moment to inspect one another like inquisitive animals, and then begin a conversation of movement and segments of sound that range from the prosaic human to bird-like squeaks to Ankah’s nearly operatic notes. Ankah’s movement vocabulary shows the distinct influence of her Cunningham training; their isolated shapes and movements correspond well with the idea of a conversation, with each movement seeming to communicate a separate and complete thought in their enigmatic dialogue. Detailed hands that crawl like insects, clamp like bird beaks, and flutter like wings, add to the disorienting sense of land before (or after) time that Ankah has created.
No matter what or where these creatures are, their maternal relationship is familiar and beautiful. Ermansons’ movement relationship with Ankah is mostly imitative, and Ankah’s movement is often nurturing, as she cradles, lifts and protects the daughter-like Ermansons. Sometimes they are still and gaze at the audience.
The work as a whole conveys an eerie, yet endearing sense of motherhood outside of time and place.