red against blue and

Hang-out (Eliška Brtnická). Photo: Kamil Hauptmann.

the lush and the brute live side by side in places where

time’s standing still and little disturbs   the afternoon slump       

the moment to linger and heal

And everything feels like a story once lived        

the smells and      the breeze and the sun       my uncle’s old workshop      my old careless days

when life was just laughter and fun           

EXPECT NOTHING!            we say when treading new fields

be ready for things to go wrong           I’M NOT EVEN SLIGHTLY

                                                             WORRIED THIS TIME

                                                              I’m sure

                                                              standing calm

                                                              standing strong

                                                               A curious child,                                             

                                                                                    a woman,                                                                           

                                                                                                    a cat

                                                                                                               who loves climbing trees, swinging high,                            

 I’m pressing my body ‘gainst rigid

      cold steel and wish that for once I could fly.      

             I’m searching and finding, new shapes, structures, paths,            

                    I’m holding my breath as I go. Just keep your eyes open don’t fall hold on tight!        

                         I’m trusting my body and flow.

                                  Be careful, be tough, be gentle and lean, show fierceness with delicate edge

                                                   be fast and be focused…                                                                               as I’ve ever been

                                                                                              my foot

                                                                                                                     stepping

                                                                                                                                               over

                                                                                                                                                                   the ledge

                                                And there                  in that moment                  of plentiful void

I’m no longer scared of the                                                                                                                                                 FALL                                                                

The risks that I’ve taken with my daring soul I’m very much proud of them all    

And so                                                         HERE I’M STANDING                                      on top of the world

the people down there looking small

                                 and yet we are closer

                                                                       than ever before

                                                                                                                      together we’re shaking the wall

‘cause we all once dreamt of climbing high mountains, and later we settled for hills. Explorers of life, so beautifully reckless, swapped ecstasy for nameless thrills. We imagined castles in limerick stone, but ended up living in flats, we even found lovers who loved someone else, bought sofas and cute Persian cats. In dark hidden corners of hearts so well-tamed, we’re still more than hungry for more, for walking on rooftops, for kissing in the rain, and sleeping on rags on the shore. Can I just take you by the hand? What d’you say? It’s not as damn hard as it seems. Now you’ll be the one with fluttering straps playing in afternoon breeze. Now you’ll be the one who’s free, with no ties, let things simply happen and grow. Your palms will be melting the cold metal forms, your feet lightly stirring their glow. And when this is over – the moment we share – just stop for a moment and think. Before you slip back to your safe little place, try not to forget everything. That red against blue and soft against rough those strange views of tin and greenery. Those contrasts that frame your everyday life.

The sky, and the heights… and me.

EDITORIAL NOTE:
This text is written as part of an international writing workshop entitled Alternative Formats, aimed at developing alternative ways of writing about dance. The workshop was a collaboration between Taneční aktuality and Performing Criticism Globally and took place during Move Fest Ostrava 2021, kindly supported by EEA Grants. The resulting texts were written in response to productions at this festival. Tereza Cigánková’s text red against blue responds to Eliška Brtnická’s performance Hang-out.

Hang-out
Koncept, performance, scénografie: Eliška Brtnická
Scénář: Eliška Brtnická, Viktorie Knotková
Voice-over: Tereza Hofová
Dramaturgická spolupráce: Viktorie Knotková
Supervize: Stéphanie N’Duhirahe
Sound design: Roman Džačár, Stanislav Abrahám