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Jonathon Young says Betroffenheit embodies both darkness and light. (ABC News: Sarah Collard)
A story of loss, addiction, trauma and discovery — told by a man whose personal rock bottom is almost impossible to imagine — opens at the Perth International Arts Festival this week.
Betroffenheit is a dance-theatre work, a collaboration between two Canadian artists.
Written and directed by Jonathon Young of the Vancouver-based Electric Company Theatre, and choreographed by Crystal Pite, Betroffenheit has its roots in tragedy.
In 2009, Young's 14-year-old daughter was killed in a cabin fire, a blaze that also killed his niece and nephew.
Years later, when he felt ready to explore his pain — he turned to friend and world-renowned choreographer Pite.
"I was so fortunate that Crystal brought herself, and then her amazing team of dancers, to this project which came from such a personal event in my own life," Young said.
"Together we were able to sort of carefully — and bravely — go through some of this material and turn it into something that isn't just about me.
"It's about the universal experience of loss, trauma, recovery and it's now like a shared experience — it's not just my show."
Drug use and post-traumatic stress
Young is also one of the performers in Betroffenheit, playing a man dealing with addiction, trying desperately to stay clean and avoid any of the stimuli which might lead him to slip back into the 'euphoria' of when he was using.
Flanked by five dancers from Pite's company Kidd Pivot, Young said it examined the notion of post-traumatic stress.
While dark and disturbed, Young said there is also light in Betroffenheit.
"There's hope — there's definitely hope — but there's no easy answers," he said.
Although clearly inspired by his own life, Young said there was no single message behind the production.
"I'm moved by how we all cope with these emotional forces that engulf the human species," he said.
"And by turning that into language, or movement or the theatrical world — you can bring all these other parts of yourself to that.
"You can bring mischief, and playfulness and artistry into something which felt oppressive and dark and private."
Complex journey of loss
While the work has forced Young to face some of his own demons, he said it was never meant to be a journey of self-expression or healing.
"Whether or not it's had some sort of healing force on my life I have a hard time really saying yes or no to," he said.
"The journey through loss and trauma and all of that is so long, and complex and layered and subtle.
"So while creativity always exerts a positive force on my life, it also takes a lot too."
Since Betroffenheit was created, Young and Pite have collaborated together on another piece called The Statement for the Nederlands Dans Theater.
Pite's work has been commissioned by major companies around the world including The Royal Ballet, Paris Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada.
Young said while there were no immediate future projects planned, he and Pite would most certainly collaborate in the future.
But for now, Young said he ends each performance of Betroffenheit exhausted, elated and overwhelmed.
"In my wildest dreams I couldn't have hoped for something that has resonated as powerfully as it has," Young said.
"The feedback that has been the most important to me is that people are seeing themselves in the piece, or people they know in it — they're bringing themselves and their own projection and it feels like it's their story.
"It does feel to me now that there's something about the piece that is bigger than the sum of its parts — it's doing its own kind of work and we're there in service to it — when we're most up for it and when we're able to forget about ourselves and just ride it."
Betroffenheit has its Australian premiere at PIAF and runs from 23 to 26 February.
Topics: arts-and-entertainment, theatre, dance, death, perth-6000
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