Blood On The Dance Floor - Capsule Review

If you ever needed proof of Jacob Boehme’s versatility, look no further than Blood On The Dance Floor. A solo show created by the Australian artist and Iljiberri Theatre Company, which DanceHouse presented in the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre from February 6th-9th. Blood is a tapestry of dance and theatre woven together to share Boehme’s personal experiences as a Blak, gay man dealing with HIV. Although he is an exceptional dancer, I felt that the movement took a necessary backseat in order for the sincerity of his acting to capture the audience.

Performing choreography by fellow Australian dancer, Mariaa Randall, Boehme displays his technical ability and poise. While few, the dance sections of Blood featured sweeping arms that reached into the space as he lunged across the floor. There was, however, one moment of stillness and vulnerability in which Boehme stood upstage left as a close-up projection of a man’s eye watched him. The movement here was memorable because his physical discomfort gradually escalated until it transformed into its own dance on the spot. 

All that said, the dancing in Blood definitely held second place to the acting. A choice, I believe, the artist made to best share his story. The show opens with Boehme performing a character, welcoming guests and ushering them into theatre. Later on he plays his own father, lecturing him about love and family. His most realized and engaging character is himself, in dialogue with the audience. The entirety of the show can be summed up in one scene. Boehme as himself sat cross-legged centre stage with minimal lighting and simply spoke about a dear friend who passed away from HIV.   The memory of this authentic moment still resonates with me far greater than any of the dancing featured in Blood.