From Personal Anguish to Collective Power
South Korean choreographer Sung Im Her has turned her artistic attention to one of the most pressing issues of our time in her latest work, 1 Degree Celsius. Presented as part of the Southbank Centre's Kunst performance series, this powerful piece transforms climate anxiety into a compelling call for collective action through movement.
A Journey Through Climate Despair to Hope
The performance begins with a solo prologue where Her herself emerges onto a barren stage. Starting from a compact, constrained position, she gradually unfolds her body before breaking into a canter around the perimeter, starkly illuminated by what appears as an imprisoning grid of light bulbs. This individual transformation beautifully sets the stage for what follows.
As Her exits, she's replaced by six dancers who initially appear crushed by the weight of the world. They move between states of inertia and thwarted intention, at one point huddling vulnerably under a single spotlight like polar bears on shrinking icebergs - a poignant parallel despite their contemporary shirts and slacks.
Costume designer Mio Jue incorporates scraps of silver into their outfits, giving this ragtag ensemble the appearance of survivors navigating dystopian wreckage. Yet gradually, something remarkable happens - they begin to assemble and confront the very issue that had overwhelmed them.
The Urgency of Collective Action
The musical score by Husk Husk and Lucy Duncan evolves perfectly in tandem with the dancers' transformation. It moves from woozy, spectral sounds with glimmers of hope into a thumping, urgent pulse as the intensity builds. The ensemble begins striding with straight backs, enduring body blows, and mobilising in response to occasional cries from fellow dancers.
Crucially, the performers are shown not just keeping pace with each other, but actively learning from one another. As they raise and throw down their arms in release, there's a palpable sense of shedding fear while simultaneously holding onto joy. Young Uk Lee's lighting design masterfully conveys this emotional shift.
The piece suggests we need to both roll up our sleeves and let down our hair - addressing the crisis seriously while maintaining the joy necessary to sustain the fight.
While the work maintains a certain coolness throughout and features a gnomic coda that some might find restrictive, it largely compensates through its urgent message about collective resilience. These bodies, this body of people, prove far more resilient than they first appeared.
Following its London premiere at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the production will travel to Crescent Theatre in Birmingham on 8 November, continuing its powerful environmental message.
