It’s often said that participating in the Fringe is like running a marathon; it’s a feat of endurance and resolve, and not one for the faint of heart. The Butterfly Who Flew Into the Rave is a show that pushes this notion to the max, with choreographers Oli Mathiesen, Lucy Lynch and Sharvon Mortimer transplanting the essence of a three-day party into a searing and electric 60 minutes of queer contemporary dance.
It’s impossible not to get lost in Nocturbulous Behaviour, the pulsating soundtrack of techno, house and more by Detroit DJ Suburban Knight, which accompanies three dancers on stage, bathed in the glow of fluorescent tube lights. Upon entry to Summerhall’s Main Hall, audience members are furnished with a paper wristband, reinforcing the atmosphere and euphoria of being at a rave, and that feeling of being invited to participate in something celebratory and communal.
The dancers are perfectly in sync throughout, as they proceed to shuffle, waack, vogue and more with barely a moment to breathe. Their perpetual motion is hypnotically intense, ebbing and flowing in speed and rhythm as the soundtrack advances. Whether they’re shifting together as one unit or breaking away into factions, the relentless nature of their movement occasionally appears physically painful, as they push their bodies to the absolute limit. By the end, you feel exhausted just as a spectator, but in their visceral magnetism, the dancers of The Butterfly Who Flew Into the Rave absolutely nail the pure joy and rapture that goes hand in hand with techno and rave culture.
The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave, Summerhall, until 25 Aug (not 6, 12, 19), 6.05pm