AH!

If Black Swan has taught us anything, it’s that ballet is serious business, and some people really work their bodies. While most of us do not possess the physique to bend in crazy directions or stand on our toes, some do, and are quite good at it. Oval’s video “Ah!” puts a great modern spin on the ballet. Their spacey math-rock instrumentals compliment the dancers perfectly, in their surreal costumes and strange floor choice (it’s sand!). We all might not be able to dance like this, but it’s cool to appreciate those who can and this modern spin on ballet is super freaky.

To see Walter Bickman’s choreography for “OVAL – Ah!” set confidently outside of the boundaries of theatrical presentation is an inspiring vision of choreography in multiple dimensions. Directed by Darko Dragicevic, the piece implies a rich mutual understanding among several artistic visions — director, choreographer, composer, and performers. [...] “OVAL – Ah!” is a look at what choreography can become in the multiple dimensions of a broader creative world — the world of recording and production.

Markus ‘Oval’ Popp has been steady glitchin’ for over a decade now. And as you can imagine, being one of modern electronic music’s most influential forces is tiring work. Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch a scantily-clad ballet dancer prance around while some nappy-wearing cabin boys lie on the floor. That’s what happens in Oval’s new video, anyway. And all the more credit to him for doing it.