REVIEW: BalletBoyz - Life

Fri 22 April 2016
Sadler's Wells
BalletBoyz - Life
Pontus Lidberg - Rabbit
Javier de Frutos - Fiction

Returning to Sadler's Wells after Young Men, Artist Directors Michael Nunn and Willam Trevitt commission another brilliant double bill. Structured like two ends of the same argument, Rabbit and Fiction are brimming with rabbit imagery and tragicomedy.  

Swedish choreographer, Pontus Lidberg's Rabbit marries surrealism and loneliness, against the cool landscape of gently wafting lengths of cloth and tolling bells. Clad in vaguely 1940s shirts, vests and braces, dancers with furry rabbit heads invade the space, hopping, skipping and cartwheeling. The tone is tender, with sudden outbursts in  Górecki's score, which seem to initiate an exaggerated running motif that rocks back and forth. Later, a couple of rabbits linked hand to ankle, roll by like tumbleweed, as a fragile and inward solo unfolds in front of us. 

We can't escape the niggling feeling that Lidberg's rather nordic choice of imagery in Rabbit is far more significant. As in Watership Down, The Animals of Farthing Wood and Of Mice and Men, Lidberg's rabbits seem to connote persecution and death. Coupled with the images of men draped over the shoulders of rabbits, like parachutes caught in treetops, there are poignant undertones of anguish as the bells toll over Lidberg's stage.

From Lidberg's surreal realm, we move to Fiction, by Venezuelan choreographer Javier de Frutos. Wanting to create a work about the death of a choreographer, de Frutos imagined his own (rather inventive) death, since it 'seems impolite to kill anyone but himself'. Fiction sees a stark change in its stripped set design and the welcome use of comedy.

The dancers move with confused expressions to critic Ismene Brown's words, unfurling a canon of rippling arms and torsos beneath a large ballet barre. A throbbing mass of bodies follows shell-shocked dancer Marc Galvez, as he struggles to come to terms with the fictitious death of his choreographer. De Frutos creates gorgeous kaleidoscopic formations around the ballet barre, as the men slice the air with blade-like arms. He takes full advantage of the BalletBoyz's precision, and risk-taking athleticism.

The curtain comes down on de Frutos' work with Galvez spinning, arms open to Donna Summer's anthem Last Dance. De Frutos is at once dead, resurrected and alive. 

Maya Pindar

Life is at Sadler's Wells until Sunday 24 April.

REVIEW: Zoi Dimitriou's The Chapter House Returns to Laban Theatre

Athens-born Zoi Dimitriou brings The Chapter House back to Laban for a fresh perspective on choreographic processes, meaning and digital media. Combining pieces from previous works, Dimitriou's The Chapter House is nostalgic while still boldly unique.

Before the work has even begun, we know minimalism will be key. The stage is strung with washing lines, piles of linen and paper are neatly stacked and a music stand sits expectantly downstage.

Mark Coniglio, inventor of Isadora Software (real-time interactive software) creates the digital structure of the work. Coniglio films Dimitriou's spoken word and snappy poses, before transferring the images to a laptop onstage. He shifts quickly as she dips in and out of floor work, and speaks in a strange foreign tongue in front of the music stand. He pushes the camera invasively close to her and then suddenly darts backwards, capturing Dimitriou from different angles.

Her phrase of snappy poses is later repeated and developed, this time the movements are sinuous and gooey against the backdrop of Caccini's Ave Maria. We can see Dimitriou layering repetition and mirroring- a clear open window into her choreographic process. But none of this makes sense yet. 

The Chapter House may not be for the easily distracted, but for those of us who do feel lost finding meaning in the choreography, Dimitriou's dynamic range is simply something else. Her lines are clean and crisp, and then suddenly she curls her spine into creature-like undulations and contortions. If nothing else, we are happy just watching her move.

In deafening silence, Conigilio pegs sheets onto suspended washing lines, forming five makeshift screens. Onto these, pulsing images of Dimitriou's repeated poses, curling spines and sinuous floor work are projected. Deafening silence turns to rumbling electronic whirring and pounding mechanical sounds, interrupted by a recording of Dimitriou's voice. She explains, disjointedly, the five 'chapters' of the work- mythos, agape, love, ptosis, and crisis, while broken sentences are projected onto a moving washing line of pegged paper. 

All at once, Coniglio's invasive filming, the strange spoken word, and repeated motifs make perfect sense. The unknown language is simply Dimitriou's playful experimentation with sounds and words. And Coniglio's nostalgic images appear like flashing memories, muddled by an unfaithful mind. In an age that consumes and obsesses with technology, The Chapter House breathes life into minimalism and digital media. Dimitriou creates a multifaceted and highly detailed work that opens up new avenues in British post-modern dance. 

If you can accept the challenge of The Chapter House, Dimitriou is well worth watching.

Maya Pindar

REVIEW: Resolution! Salah El Brogy Company, Yukiko Masui, Promotion

Fri 20 Feb
Resolution!
The Place
Salah El Brogy Company Glitch
Yukiko Masui It Takes Two Too 
Pro-Motion Ideas in Motion

Beginning the final night of Resolution! 2016, Salah El Brogy presents a raw and pensive solo performance in Glitch. El Brogy examines the struggle of accessing memories, combining strong spoken word in his native Arabic and an animalistic physicality. Clever use of lighting and alarm sounds point to a ‘malfunction’ that brings El Brogy’s dynamic sequences of capoeira- style hurling arms and percussive shifts to an abrupt halt. ‘It’s like… the words… disappear from…’ he stumbles and falters, trying to force a memory back to life. Glitch is, above all, sincere. Despite the possible language barrier of using Arabic, I feel drawn into El Brogy’s struggle.

Tokyo-born Yukiko Masui’s It Takes Two Too is a sexy, sultry landscape of Latin flavours, gently rolling hips and slow electronica. Dressed neutrally, the two couples are clad in black turtleneck tops and black ankle length skirts, revealing bare thighs through an open slit. Masui’s investigation of gender norms presents itself as same-gender pairings, as well as women leading their male counterparts. Dancers Masui and KJ L. Mortimergently manipulate Franco Conquest and Gareth Mole’s necks and hips, before throwing them into high energy, muscular floor sequences. While the commentary on gender norms doesn’t evolve further, It Take Takes Two Too is a slick and seductive work.

The triple bill closed on a high with Pro-Motion’s playful Ideas in Motion. Dabbling with comedic sketches, amusing vocal percussion and slow-motion references to Chariots of Fire, choreographer Brooke Millinercreates a truly entertaining work of hip-hop. Slapstick gunfights remind us of Tom and Jerry cartoons, while crisp unison, fast-paced footwork and breaking showcase the group’s technical skills. The group’s cohesion is unmistakable. A wholly enjoyable evening, with exciting artists and collectives to watch out for in the future.

Maya Pindar 

See the official review posted on The Place's Resolution Review! Blog here: http://www.theplace.org.uk/blog/resolution-review-2016/fri-19-febsalah-el-brogy-companyyukiko-masuipro-motion

#Res2016 

REVIEW: Resolution!: Sigh, Pauline Raineri, Foskett-Piccolo Dance Company

Sat 31 Jan

The Place

Resolution!

Sigh Kasa

Pauline Raineri Si | Si

Foskett-Piccolo Dance Company Woven

I had a great deal of hope for Sigh tonight. A theatrical opening sees a performer gliding through a bright corridor of light with a Japanese oil-paper umbrella. Light hearted expressions of surprise with toothy smiles charm us. But sequences of desperate clutching, unrelenting longing gazes, and the ascension of the umbrella on a wire cable soon indicate the subject of dark obsession. Yet, despite the potential within Kasa’s themes, a solid connection between the dancers is needed for the themes to be fully realised.

In a narrow band of light, which illuminates only their bare legs, dancers Amy Foskett and Giovanna Piccolo flex, flick and pad their feet in slick unison. Pealing their t-shirts over their heads, Woven attempts to explore connections and relationships in the body. Again however, the message needs a little more direction and coherence before we can fully believe in the performance.

Finally, sandwiched between Kasa and Woven, French choreographer Pauline Raineri presents an incredibly honest investigation into the depths of despair and the reality of escape.  At the back of the dark, smoke filled stage dancer Erin O’Reilly is a writhing mass of unfurling arms and trembling limbs. Composer Louis Richard’s bleak landscape of static noise couples fittingly with O’Reilly’s lost expression. She tugs anxiously at her clothes and fingers, stumbling about the stage as she flees an inevitable confrontation. Si | Si is intensely experienced and lived by both soloist and audience. O’Reilly offers a performance with total conviction, which resonates profoundly with everyone.

Maya Pindar

See the official review posted on The Place's Resolution Review! Blog here: http://www.theplace.org.uk/blog/resolution-review-2016/sat-30-jan-foskett-piccolo-dance-companypauline-rainerisigh

#Res2016 

REVIEW: Feet Off The Ground Dance - Éter

Fri 22 Jan 2016

The Place

Resolution!

Feet Off The Ground Dance Éter

Feet Off The Ground Dance opened the night’s triple bill with an intense and exciting performance of Éter. Four women journey through a bleak landscape of gently pulsating lights and electrical whirring. Their organic contact improvisation sets them apart from the other acts of the night (which include Maria Lothe/Rachel Blomberg and Unity Dance Company UK). Being an all-female company, dancers Lucia Chocarro, Robyn Holder, Sophie Thorpe and Patricia Zafra prove that femininity and strength are synonymously connected.

Visually, Feet Off The Ground Dance are incredibly exciting to watch. They slip seamlessly from moments of unison to intricate pairings, intertwining limbs and locking foreheads. The tone changes as live musician Panos Chountoulidis’ score intensifies. The women are like beasts. We can see the exhaustion in their pained expressions, as they hunt and chase each other through the space.

Interestingly, it is a non-contact martial arts passage, which interrupts the flow of intimacy that closes the work. The sudden physical distance between the dancers rounds off Éter quite nicely- despite us wanting a little more from the work. Using repetition and Chountoulidis’ drilling score, Feet Off The Ground Dance create a truly powerful work that highlights and draws upon the dancers’ technical skill and obvious sense of drive.



Maya Pindar

REVIEW: Resolution! Lizzie J Klotz, Maria Fonseca & What is Written Dance Company

20th January 2016
The Place
Resolution!
Lizzie J Klotz To Suit
Maria Fonseca IDADE
What is Written Dance Company Dialect of War

On the face of it, To Suit is an amusing and playful discourse. Some engaging moments see Alys North and Charlie Dearnley stood still, crying out and shrieking- an allusion to Lizzie J Klotz’s investigation of animal courtship- which greatly amuses the audience. However, somewhere between putting two fingers up to the man and disco dancing to a Bach Brandenburg Concerto, Klotz seems to lose her way. To Suit has a great deal of potential, but needs a little more coherence.

 ‘I never sin halfway’ remarks Anne Burgi, as she admits to her guilty pleasures of ice cream and chocolate. And indeed Maria Fonseca’s refreshing examination of ageing in IDADE is thoroughly considered. Fonseca plays the role of a curious young woman, while Burgi muses on the revelations of maturity. The women are inseparable in their connection. They slip between crisp gestural phrases and quirky counterbalances, gently shifting one over the other’s shoulder or hip. Overall, IDADE is honest and frank in discussing the happiness and fear that comes with the inevitability of ageing.

With its fusions of contemporary and hip-hop, What is Written Dance Company’s provocative performance of Dialect of War ended the night on a high. An uncertain opening of flashing lights and jarring floorwork thankfully gave way to a high energy performance. Sia Gbamoi and Viviana Rocha move in crisp unison, executing percussive isolations muddled with loose-limbed, whirling arms. Shifts in lighting, pounding music and changing spatial formations create a well-rounded work. There is a sense of struggle, as the dancers push against their own exhaustion and the driving rhythm of David Devyne and Jean Pierre’s original score. The tone remains primal throughout, reflecting the strength communities call upon in the struggle for survival.


Maya Pindar



See the official review posted on The Place's Resolution Review! Blog here: http://www.theplace.org.uk/blog/resolution-review-2016/tues-19-jan-lizzie-j-klotzmaria-fonsecawhat-written-dance-company

#Res2016

REVIEW: Sasha Waltz & Guests 'Sacre' - 'a storm of fog, grit and earthy tones'

Sasha Waltz & Guests
Sadler's Wells
Friday 13th November 2015

Sasha Waltz is one of Germany's most current choreographers. Experimenting with the boundary between dance and opera, it comes as no surprise that Waltz has taken on Stravinsky's masterpiece in this triple bill. Interestingly, gender seems to be a common theme that threads through L'Après Midi d'un Faune, Scène d'Amour, and Sacre. Men and women are both divided and united throughout the works.

L'Après Midi d'un Faune is a surprisingly colourful affair, with bright patterned leotards and backdrop. The tone is lazy and seductive- heads roll back, lips part, knees are pushed apart and backs arch as Debussy's score rises and falls. Both men and women are just as responsible for one another's pleasure. Yet, aside from the sensuality of the work, the choreography seems somewhat aimless.

Scène d'Amour, an excerpt from Waltz's Roméo et Juliette is exquisite. Both Lorena Justribó Manion and Ygal Tsur defy gravity even when rolling on the floor together. The mood is light and romantic- the couple are blissful. Manion moves effortlessly, darting about the space and slipping seamlessly between Tsur's acrobatic lifts and Waltz's phrases of unison.

Finally, the grand finale of the evening does not disappoint. Sacre is a storm of fog, grit and earthy tones. The stage opens eerily, smoke filled and dark. A large crowd gathers, staring at an enormous pile of ash and gravel at the centre of the stage. Waltz constructs something almost hellish. The dancers are violent and primal, driven by Stravinsky's pounding score. The limp bodies of women litter the stage, as the men charge through, again highlighting the boundaries between genders.

In fact, Waltz toys with gender role reversal- a woman lurches forward, clasping her hands around the struggling body of a man. Will he become the sacrifice? But Waltz only flirts with the idea, before plunging the dancers into a throbbing sultry mass. Clothes are torn away from bodies, skin rubs against skin, and suddenly the dancers’ breathlessness turns to lust.

Finally, as Stravinsky's score intensifies, Sacre begins to reach its final climax. Maria Marta Colusi strips naked for Waltz's conclusion, her muscular body shudders with exhaustion. While all three works are striking, Waltz's exposition of sex and death in Sacre is truly stunning.