By Lily Essilfie

For three nights, BAM and Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival presented Age of Content. The French multidisciplinary collective (LA)HORDE and Ballet National de Marseille stitch together a dance performance depicting and exploring the social implications of the Digital Age.

On Saturday, February 21st, at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, I attended the US premiere and watched as storytellers reflect society’s fractured identity through dance. From sound to visual design, the melding of reality with the virtual to illustrate a digitized dystopia stunned me.

Although the set design was simple, it was extremely well thought out. The set played a vital role: launching the dancers into the illusory digital age and maintaining the illusion for the audience. Rather than distracting, it added to the matrix-like experience of the cyber sector we are all familiar with.

The audience is introduced to a remotely controlled vehicle with an exposed exoskeleton. Then, a masked dancer steps on stage. Instead of taking control of the vehicle, they are guided by it. Eventually, it turns into a struggle between two dancers dressed in identical Juicy Couture tracksuits, and later, a collective of more indistinguishable dancers fight to claim ownership over this autonomous vehicle.

(LA)HORDE |Ballet National de Marseille| Photo Courtesy of Maria Baranova

As the violence increases, the sound transforms into music filled with adrenaline-pumping beats. Age of Content does a phenomenal job connecting movement with narration while motioning overarching themes to the forefront through sound. The tension, the struggle, and the culturally relevant tracksuits expose the realm of social media influencing, which is a dog-eat-dog world. Influencers and content creators compete for attention, likes, and clicks just to stay trending. Everyone wants the top spot, but unfortunately, not everyone can get it.

Watching the dancers interact with the autonomous vehicle reminded me of the personal battle many of us undergo. Social media and augmented realities have seized control of our everyday lives. Every moment of pause is corrupted by our need to scroll. In this day and age, the vehicle represents the hold digital life has on us. It remains in control while we fight against ourselves, attempting to gain some semblance of control.

The next sequence begins with a dancer falling from the ceiling. Similar to the PCs in Grand Theft Auto, she moves about the stage with almost human mannerisms. It was really interesting to watch the virtual come to life. The change in costume highlights our strong desire for individuality even through a screen. Avatar customization is a way we fasten our physical state to our digital escape.

We have a plethora of information at our disposal. With a simple twiddle of our thumbs, we have access to deeply intimate spaces. The third sequence of Age of Content explores these deeply sensitive spaces that we now have unrestricted entry to. The audience witnesses the unbridled sexual scape of social media through the dancers' more sensual, partnered, and passionate movement. Every expression is bold and intentional. As they effortlessly grind, twerk, and gyrate, I felt as if I had walked in on a sultry virtual affair of intense pleasure.

The closing sequence featured the type of classical music that encompassed comedic zeal and earnest vigor. It was upbeat and high energy, strategically complementing the performers' dance moves and satirical facial expressions. There was a blend of different dance styles and pieces from pop culture, embodying the heightened dopamine rush we all get from the digital world. In those moments, the doomscrolling, the liking, the posting, and the following of mainstream trends physically entered the 3D. They truly captured the endless lived experience of virtual chasing and escaping.

When social commentary is presented in innovative ways, it captures the attention of a diverse audience. The Age of Content speaks to today's society, capturing realities that plague our current day-to-day. Even if you walked in confused, I am positive you will walk out questioning the role of social media and technology in your life. Ultimately, Age of Content challenges us to think more while holding a mirror up to society.