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Pros: Stunning choreography accompanied by an eclectic range of rambunctious music, plus fantastic performances from some very talented dancers.
Cons: If contemporary dance isn’t your thing, then perhaps this isn’t for you. Well-choreographed and well-performed, this stunning evening is contemporary dance at its best.
Summary
Rating
Excellent
There is something overtly beautiful about a red dress in dance. The way it floats and flows to the music can be mesmerisingly hypnotic, especially when coupled with stunning choreography and enchanting music. Tangent, choreographed by Martin Lawrance, is the second of four pieces in this line-up and depicts the moods and stories of the different seasons in vivacious Buenos Aires. Simplicity, colour and shape are three things that this company have expertly moulded together to create four world class pieces that really mustn’t be missed.
Stirred by all things musical, one is taken on a journey of award winning Richard Alston’s passion for music. Percussion ensembles, live piano, Purcell, Britten and vibrant electric Romanian gypsy Samba, Alston really has taken his inspiration from a vast array of rambunctious melodic brilliance, providing a musical treat for everyone. The piano solo performed by Jason Ridgway in Tangent is exciting and incredibly moving whilst the colourful, catchy “Electric Gypsyland” leaves you wanting to swing your hips and kick your legs up high.
The glorious simplicity of the choreography and the tremendous talent of the dancers is what makes this dance soiree so mesmerising to watch. Every dancer is gorgeously graceful and moves around the bear frozen-lake like stage with sophistication and elegance. The solos and duets are particularly beautiful – they move around the stage as if dancing on air. Each dancer completely owns the stage and has every flick, twist and spin down to a tee. Ihsaan de Banya stands out in his almost narrative role, and Liam Riddick’s solos are also one to watch; truly beautiful.
We are also given a special treat by second year students of the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, whom Alston says created the work in record time, inspired by their brilliant energy and talent. Starting in silence, a wonderfully atmospheric opening, this is a delightfully fast paced piece that showcases the high calibre of students at the extremely well-regarded Rambert Dance School. The high-pitched pinging of the percussion combined with the quick and quirky moves of the student dancers is truly spectacular.
There is little that can be criticised of this evening of infectious dance, from the spellbinding choreography – made even more spellbinding by Karl Oskar Sordal and Jeffrey Rogador’s stunning lighting design – to the magically mood making music. The shapes the dancers made and the sound of their feet as they trotted along the stage was captivating. I left the theatre with my expectations exceeded. A remarkable evening!
Choreographers: Richard Alston and Martin Lawrance
Producer: Richard Alston Dance Company
Booking Until: 17 June 2017
