In a stirring performance at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Korean choreographer Sung Im Her presents 1 Degree Celsius, a powerful dance piece that tackles the overwhelming issue of our time: the climate crisis.
From Individual Burden to Collective Action
The work begins with a solo prologue, where Her herself steals onto a barren stage. Starting from a compact state, she gradually unfolds her body, breaking into a canter around the perimeter under the stark light of an imprisoning grid of bulbs. This initial, individual transformation powerfully sets the stage for what is to come.
She is soon replaced by six other dancers who appear to be buckling under the weight of the world. They move from a state of inertia to one of thwarted intentions, at one point huddling vulnerably under a single spotlight like castaways. Dressed in shirts and slacks, the poignant parallel to images of polar bears on shrinking icebergs is unmistakable.
A Ragtag Band of Survivors Finds Strength
Costumes by Mio Jue, incorporating scraps of silver, give the ensemble the air of survivors amid dystopian wreckage. Yet, from this state of fragmentation and anxiety, a change occurs. Gradually, the dancers assemble and begin to confront the issue that has overwhelmed them.
The piece becomes a compelling call to replace passive climate fear with collaborative, purposeful action. This shift is masterfully underscored by the score from Husk Husk and Lucy Duncan, which evolves from a woozy and spectral soundscape into a thumping, urgent pulse.
As the intensity builds, the ensemble strides with straight backs, endures symbolic body blows, and mobilises, sometimes spurred on by a dancer's cry. Crucially, the performance shows the dancers not just keeping up with one another, but actively learning from each other, embodying the essence of collective power.
A Message of Joy and Resilience
When the dancers raise and throw down their arms in a gesture of release, the feeling is not just one of shedding fear, but of holding on to joy. This vital emotional switch is also conveyed through Young Uk Lee's transformative lighting design. The piece suggests that while we must roll up our sleeves to face this challenge, we must also let down our hair and find joy in the struggle.
While the performance maintains a certain coolness and features a gnomic coda that some may find restrictive, it largely compensates with its urgent message for a collective reset. The final, powerful impression is one of resilience, as the bodies on stage—this body of people—prove to be far more robust than they first seemed.
1 Degree Celsius was performed as part of the Southbank Centre's Kunst performance series. The work will next be presented at the Crescent theatre in Birmingham on 8 November.
