Review: (Montreal) Tempest in a Teacup (Fringe)

Danse Sans Prétention
by Sarah Deshaies
@sarahdeshaies

Quicksilver Dance has ventured out of their Cambridge, Mass. base for their first international appearance right here at the Montreal Fringe. 

Tempest in a Teacup is an octet of dancers of varying shapes and sizes; they present five earnest and thoughtful pieces that meditate on philosophy, history, biology and other sciences. Quicksilver owes its intellectual ambition to founders (and couple) Mariah Steele and Hans Rinderknecht; they met each other in a dance class while studying law and physics, respectively, at Princeton.

Opener ‘No Sugar, Please’ is a mesmerizing solo dance that tells the tale of tea through simulating the ritualistic act of steeping and serving the drink. And to close out the show, there is The Constant Effort of Beginning: seven of the dancers moving in ever-shifting pods, wearing hypnotic batik uniforms. They group together, split up and regroup, continuing the cycle of life. 

Tempest in a Teacup is unpretentious, satisfying dance. 

June 14 - 19