Robojom combines interpretive dance, ballet, theatrics and ’80’s style New Wave. /DOUG KRETCHMER
The stage at the Pyramid is sparse as two females and a male take to the stage. One of the women straps on a bass guitar while the other one gets behind her keyboard and Mac computer loaded with samples. The silver-masked fellow sits on his drum stool.
From behind the audience a woman, Renee, in a bee-striped dress and star stockings appears on the dance floor. Her head is wrapped up with a cloth covering as she starts singing. She is flanked by two men dressed in black. With black makeup streaked across their eyes they look like raccoons stealing through the night as they lift her up and carry her toward the stage.
They place her on the stage as the band kicks in with their ’80’s New Wave grooves.
After a couple songs, the raccoons appear on the stage and each grab an end of Renee’s head covering and start unraveling her. They stretch out the beige cheese cloth type material and start wrapping it around her waist. They leave the stage. This is Robojom.
Like a butterfly, the singer sheds her cocoon. /DOUG KRETCHMER
The band kicks into another song with the singer balancing on her toes and transforming into a ballerina.
After elegantly displaying her ballet expertise she collapses on the front of the stage and rips off her shoes.
The bedazzled raccoons approach her from each side clutching a boot each which they put on her feet. Apparently these boots are made for walking as her stage expands first to the dance floor then throughout the whole venue as she winds through the audience.
The sailor and singer seem to reject and accept each other at the same time. /DOUG KRETCHMER
At one point one of the black clad men takes her on his shoulders and walks with her throughout the crowd.
Like a butterfly shedding its cocoon she strips away the head cloth from around her waist and engages in some interpretive dance with the two bandits.
The butterfly floats to the floor and rises up with blood curdling screams as she circles the floor.
Next a demented sailor approaches her from the back of the room. They seem to be loving and rejecting each other at the same time.
Then she writhes on the floor and grabs the head cloth and it appears she’s trying to get back into her cocoon, to no avail.
After about 40 minutes, the dream is over and she slowly walks back onto the stage and quite nonchalantly thanks the audience.
Very interesting journey the unsuspecting audience was taken on by Robojom. Can’t wait to see what this combo has in store for their next performance.
All photos by Doug Kretchmer
Videos courtesy of QUIDAM Video
