Q&A (THE 36 QUESTIONS) by Rachel Erdos and Dancers

“Q&A (The 36 Questions)”

Reviewer: Jocelyn Chng
Performance: 25 January 2019

The “36 Questions” mentioned in the title of this piece refer to a set of 36 questions (or prompts) crafted by psychologist Arthur Aron as part of a 1997 study, in which pairs of strangers were tasked to respond to the prompts with each other.

In her quirky, warm-hearted piece Q&A, British-Israeli choreographer Rachel Erdos uses these 36 questions as a starting point to inspire movement. As the dancers physically respond to some of the questions, the audience probably couldn’t help but think about their own answers, too. While Aron’s study was primarily on building intimacy, Q&A shifts the lens slightly to consider the broader theme of human connection.

The piece begins with questions asked in turn by one of the four dancers through a microphone, following which they perform movements in solos, duets, trios or all four together. Such a structure could become repetitive, but it does not, which speaks for the dramaturgical coherence of the piece.

The movement responses increase in complexity as the piece develops, and mood shifts are appropriately timed. In response to the question “If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?”, a humorous section follows in which the Superman theme song plays while campy superhero actions ensue. At a later point, a darker section deals with issues of death and family relationships, accompanied by slower, more meditative music and movements.

A sense of warmth and gentle openness permeates the space, due to the dancers’ relaxed manner. Despite the thrust configuration, which can be difficult to handle, the dancers are conscious in making the audience on all three sides feel included. Audience members might be posed a question one-on-one by a dancer who comes up close to them, but there is no pressure to reveal their response loudly. A small number of audience members are also invited to take up seats at the perimeter of the stage; they participate in a variety of activities that are relatively low-stakes: reading prompts, responding to a question, or engaging in playful movement with the dancers.

Sitting within the larger M1 Fringe Festival, my only qualm is that the piece strikes me as relating only marginally to the theme of performance artist Suzann Victor’s work, Still Waters. The performance write-up mentions the “creat[ion of] mutual understanding and connection, ultimately forming a momentary community”, which seems like a tall order. My experience was more of individual reflection on how I do or do not make connections with people around me in daily life, rather than a significantly increased sense of community in the shared space.

However, I am aware that each audience member’s experience might differ depending on their involvement, especially in the final section of the piece. The dancers invite about 10 to 12 pairs of audience members down to the stage; each pair sits looking into each other’s eyes, in silence, for about four minutes. This is a beautiful moment, even for myself, an observer who is watching from the audience seats.
As the lights go out, judging by the warm applause all around, this moment of connection with a stranger, even if brief, has been much appreciated indeed.