Un-boxing Marge

Don’t be misled by Marge Enriquez’ doe-eyed countenance or her almost languid, measured tones of discourse. Underneath that seemingly mild-mannered exterior, there’s a steely and fiery determination that’s directed at defying any thoughts of categorizing or "boxing in" two concepts that she holds dearly. One, is her own persona; and second, that of modern dance.

Since time immemorial, Marge has seen herself as a free spirit of sorts. Unfettered by convention or the expectations of the world-at-large, she’s eked out a multi-dimensional identity that refuses to be pigeon-holed or boxed in. To be frank, I did not possess much foreknowledge about Marge. I knew she was an editor and wrote for a broadsheet and that was pretty much all I knew. Sometimes, it pays to be uninitiated and "innocent," as there are no major preconceptions. So, it was with surprise and wonderment that I was introduced to the idea of Marge Enriquez, the dancer.

For some years now, Marge has put on an annual dance program that defies stereotyping. It’s a labor of love that enlists sympathetic souls. Souls that are encased in the more creative individuals of our community. For this year’s version that will be staged on the Aug. 9 (7:30 p.m.) at the RCBC Plaza Galleria on Ayala Ave., Marge’s "collective" include Impy Pilapil, whose sculptural installations will complement the production design of Rachy Cuna and Tonton Santos. Joe Salazar and Marden Iglesias provide the costumes, and the special makeup will be by Patrick Rosas and Avon.

Entitled The Traveler‚ the dances are inspired by the poems of Australian writer Barbara Ramsay. It’s a cycle of poems about the soul at the crossroads of life and how it reaches its destination through spiritual power. Choreographer Gerald Mercado and video director Ed Lejano do the interpretation, while Katsch Catoy directs this collaboration of different art forms. Last, but not least, National Artist for Music Lucrecia Kasilag, has composed music specially for this presentation, as to be performed by the Philippine Women’s University Music Ensemble.

Now that’s a formidable parade of names from the world of arts. To find them all coming in confluence to "aid and abet" Marge attests to her strength of vision and power of convincing. The resultant multi-medium presentation will fuse modern dance, the poems, theater, music, video and sculptures. As it’s being held in the corridor of the ground floor of the RCBC Plaza, expect a strong interactive element. Pedestrians, as well as people looking down to the lobby are just one segment of the audience. On the ground floor itself, the traditional physical separation of stage from audience will be blurred. In fact, they joke that on the day itself, who knows if Marge will end up kicking someone in the groin or face.

"It’s very rare to have poetry-reading nowadays. So I want people to appreciate the poems, supplemented with a visual point of view. So we’re using dance and video. They’re very appropriate for these days. A lot of dance today no longer has soul. It’s mired in the technical, in the body form and strength, and not so much in the quality and feelings of the dancer. Then we had the stage where you would watch purely because you were anticipating a personality. Now, it’s all non-entities that are performing!" Marge demurs.

Marge recounts how her mentor William Morgan would emphasize "the sparkle in your eyes, the essence," downplaying the sight of "high legs on zombies." It’s this spirituality in dance, the soul, that finds a perfect complement in the poems of Ramsay.

For Katsch Catoy, it’s especially exciting because it’s not your usual proscenium space. "It’s a lobby. It’s glass-enclosed, long, and four floors high. While we will have acoustic problems, that’s part of the challenge. We still have to bring intimacy to the performance and connect with the audience. And it’s perfect that we are in what is an ostensible corporate environment because that is just the point we are making. That you have to be able to stop, take a deep breath, forget the everyday grind, then come back.

"Theoretically, with the video screens that are there to enhance the performance, you can even not be looking directly at the dancers and still be aware of what is transpiring. It’s really quite unique for what is still essentially a dance performance," as Tonton Santos was excited to relate. "It’s the physical environment that we’re exploiting to make this really different. The sculptures don’t just lie there, they’ll be moved, carried. And you know how there’s that tactile quality to Impy’s work, how whether you like it or not, you’re tempted to touch the sculpture. We will be putting that to good use. Even the screens for the videos will not be your regular rectangular screens placed against a wall; they’ll be mobiles hanging from the ceiling, with wave patterns on them."

It’s the seeking of a new audience, that Marge is convinced is out there, that acts as an impetus for her annual odyssey into mounting the improbable and well-nigh impossible. "People can appreciate modern dance. It’s just that we get used to anticipating the same thing again and again. The same ballets are staged year after year, not to mention with the same set of dancers. I guess this is my self-imposed purpose – to show that there is something different, something fresh, that post-modern dance can be staged here in Manila, and if given the chance, it will find its audience. Enough of this two long hours of tutus."

So post-modern dance is breaking down old concepts of dance, it’s creating your own vocabulary and for what it’s worth, it’s reason enough for Marge to put in the long arduous months of preparation. While for some it culminates in the performance on Aug. 9, Marge knows only too well that if this exercise of "letting her hair down‚" makes even one individual now seek out the video tapes of such post-modern icons as Twyla Tharp, then the "rumble at the RCBC Plaza" will have been worth every second spent, every metaphorical (at times, literal) drop of blood, bead of sweat and drop of tear.