SHUT DOWN Dance Performance

SHUT DOWN is created and designed by Charlotte Vincent alongside a talented team working with the Vincent Dance Theatre Company. It's their first ever all male production and 'explores the spectrum of modern day masculinity and investigates the pressures, contradictions and confusions of being a man.' They are touring the country with this live performance as well as it being made into a 6 screen video artwork.



We gave students the opportunity to see this show while it was here in Farnham at The Maltings in February 2019. The show was an amazing experience, one that shocked but also inspired and made you question yourself and the way you think about the issues and topics surrounding masculinity. It used so many diverse styles of dance from pop & lock, to contemporary to gestural movements etc to try explore and represent masculinity. Each type of dance was used so specifically to link to the ideas they would explore in that scene. It combined the art form of dance alongside a multitude of others to create this powerful performance. It used Spoken Word, Rap and real life testimonies to make this piece even more charged. The spoken word was said with such passion and really felt like a integral part of the piece, to not only see visually how these men are impacted but also to hear how they feel and drive the piece forward in this sense as well.

I feel like this show is one that will be perceived differently by everyone but the biggest divide will be how men perceive this show, compared to women. As a women myself watching this, I felt on edge at times almost wanting to cry for the way these men were demonstrating the most simplest of issues to us, at times almost feeling bad for the part I may have to play in these issues societally. However at other times I found myself smiling and even laughing at the obvious but comical stereotypes we were also being presented with. This show really is a rollercoaster of ups and downs and that is what made it so exciting and impactful, really making me think about the way men and masculinity can be thought of in current day society and the problems this presents. It was an experience not worth missing and I would encourage anyone, even if not into dance, to go see this.

Other people have said:

‘Once again I was blown away by @VincentDT. #VDTShutDown is fearless, meaningful and so relevant. Everyone needs to see it.’ Audience Feedback, London.

'SHUT DOWN seems to present simultaneously a manifesto, a rebellion, a cry for help, and a mapping of the many identities ‘a man’ could take on.’ Exeunt Magazine.

'This was my highlight of the Festival – honest, thoughtful, funny, gut-wrenching.’ Audience Member, Brighton Festival 2018

Written by Billie Williams

Pictures from:

https://dancetabs.com/2017/11/vincent-dance-theatre-shut-down-london/

https://www.vincentdt.com/project/shut-down/

Quotes from:

https://www.vincentdt.com/project/shut-down/

https://www.vincentdt.com/project/shut-down-installation/