Alix Kuijpers (he/they) is an emerging freelance choreographer, sound designer, and director of 2023 Melbourne Fringe performance, ‘i know the end’. Making its interstate debut in October, ‘i know the end’ is an interactive queer dance work whose Adelaide performance won it a 2023 Emerging Artist Award and one of the Weekly Best Dance Awards. The show has been created by a team of emerging queer South Australian dance artists, including Caroline De Wan (she/her) and Fern Mines (she/her). Having had the opportunity to watch and review the performance, Aideen (she/her) reflects on the mystery of queer relationships, both in their daunting nature and joyful shapelessness.

Mystery and intrigue added to this whole performance. ‘i know the end’ walks the line between intimate and spooky, delving into the feeling of the unknown that is inherent in burgeoning queer experiences and celebrating the deep friendship and vulnerability of a couple’s private world. 

The viewer’s experience is considered at every level as  Alix incorporates a thrilling soundscape specifically designed and delivered for the piece. The spoken-word audio creates an extra-terrestrial, ethereal atmosphere that places the performance in a dreamscape setting, coupled with shifting melodies that are beautiful and moving. 

As Alix explains, the performances tried to grapple with the experience of tackling unmapped relationships in early adulthood.

“In this work, our mystery is human connection, intimacy and relationships, more specifically in relation to how for many queer people, that is a complex minefield to navigate. Working up the courage to express feelings of love and admiration for one another, platonically or romantically, is difficult when the examples you are given through society, media and politics weren’t made for you in mind.”

That uncertainty was channeled by the performers switching from initial instances of romantic intimacy to platonic silliness. The back and forth created a sense of ambiguity that made me second guess my assumptions. This felt like a reflection of a familiar fluctuation true for many queer relationships. A representation of the swing between ends of a spectrum, a non-binary dynamic that, unsure of itself, moves and evolves. 

Read here: https://demuremag.com/music/iknowtheend