The Cost of Living (2004) is a performance from DV8 physical theatre company. David Toole and Eddie Nixon are 2 main dancers in the piece, David being a double amputee, therefore only leaves him with arms and a torso to dance with. They are street performers struggling to get by in a seaside town.
David is a disabled man who mainly dances using his hands to move him around. There’s a scene where he starts off coming over a hill swinging from side to side on his arms. The rest of the cast then try to duplicate that movement at which this point they peer over the hill on all fours stepping each hand forward and dragging their feet along the floor, their hips also dip down when doing this. This movement phrase is showing the exploration of the movement the disabled man can do and is difficult for the supposedly “able” bodied, which is making a point that although he may not have any legs he can still do things that others in the company cannot do. That particular movement phrase looks very difficult for the non-disabled dancers to articulate, however it then comes across very easy and natural for the disabled dancer. The work shows the determination of not letting disabilities or society’s prejudices get in the way of a dream or ambition that someone wants to achieve.
Laura Goodman Dance 