Faking It

In a secluded clearing a group of dancers engages in that most fundamental of all dance activities: dancing to the beat. Forming a group, keeping together in time, moving their muscles rhythmically for a long period of time — these are some of the most meaningful activities we can imagine.

To the beats of percussionist Julian Sartorius’ hypnotic “Locked Grooves,” the dancers enact an encyclopedic catalog of dance rituals. Intricate circle dances mix with ecstatic trances and fitness exercises, fertility rites and initiation rituals, culminating in a sort of boot-camp forest-rave flash-mob mash-up. Amidst the stomping feet and the swirling dust, a new community begins to emerge.

Almost everything is made up, of course. Making a dancing community requires a fundamental act of imagination. “Fake it ’till you make it” is the group’s motto. Our dancing bodies are adept instruments of deception, our dance forms are elaborate swindles. And yet we know of no better way to form a true community than to move together on the beat.

The basic theme of imagined communities coming together through rhythmic dancing has relevance in a wide range of locations. Thus, besides the original forest version (which can be adapted to new parks and forests), an alternate stage version and an urban street version are also available.

“Faking It” is the second part of the “Counterfeit” trilogy, which has been supported by a multi-year production grant from the City of Bern for the years 2022-2024.