Review: Rambert x (LA)HORDE: Bring Your Own, Southbank Centre

Whilst Rambert celebrates its centenary in 2026, (LA) HORDE is relatively new, with its 12 year history. These two outstanding companies now come together to offer three distinct pieces, which invite audiences to embrace chaos, daring acrobatics and intense emotions…or reject them and remain aloof.

Hop(e)storm and Weather is Sweet eloquently present a range of beauty and intensity that compel the audience to engage. The set is simple, providing a foil for the performances ahead. We begin in a darkened auditorium, blackout stage and billowing rear curtains.

Hop(e)storm emerges gradually from the shadows, embodying the struggles of individuals and groups striving to attain, reach, belong, yet suffering rejection. Through its fusion of contemporary dance and iconic 1920 Lindy Hop dance moves of the African Americans of Harlem, it depicts a compelling story of diversity and struggle both for recognition, and freedom. The music gains tempo, including a brief line from Elvis and references to incarceration. The collaborative company rise to the changing pace, urgency and combine into a rotating, powerful wheel of Lindy Hop.

Weather is Sweet contrasts in its sensuality. It’s tactile, raw and demanding both of its dancers and the audience. The sexual energy is both tender and violent; moving fluidly through positions, genders, solo, to paired, to group energy: both enticing and confronting. The dancers pulse, grind, writhe and exalt in their sexual prowess, balancing domination and submission with participation.

During the interval we’re treated to an alternate performance, as the stage is transformed into a white papered, brighter space. It’s a ballet with props, including large rolls of paper, wide brushes, tape and the practiced efficiency of the team.

Room with a View (extract) provides an emotive and captivating feast of dance, athleticism and emotion. A particularly moving piece, it depicts a cycle of life and relationships from tentative beginnings, to the fluency of familiarity, anger, love and heartfelt commitment with the joy of belonging.

It could readily be titled ‘No F**ks Given’ or ‘The Birds’, as celebrated in audience laughter as dancers energetically ‘flip the bird’ contemptuously, courageously and powerfully. This fascinating work offers vibrating soloists, human free-running and pulsating teamwork throughout. The company demonstrates confidence in one another, familiarity and practice as they depict huge breadth of movement, pace and athleticism. Trust is evident as they ascend through the hands, shoulders, backs and necks of their company, taking flight in rotating shapes that seemingly float as though strung. At times, they effortlessly launch into awaiting arms, iteratively and fearlessly. From the outset, the piece illustrates the push/pull of desire and rejection of people, at points readily depicting a football mob, complete with posturing, battles and hand/arm gestures.

From fluid elegance, to swaggers, taunts, insolence and bravado we are drawn to the complexity of these emotional fireworks. From a benign, cautious beginning, the performance rises to ravaged fighting, and coalesces into a coordinated tight group, a pulsating heart. As it draws to a close, movement quietens and music takes up the refrain, supported by the humming and subsequent choral sound of the company gradually leaving the stage, but returning to rapturous applause and accolades.

The cohesion of these two companies is demonstrated through exceptional production values throughout. The costumes reflect individuality and modern styling, from loose casualwear to closely fitted athleticwear. Lighting is empathic, and particularly evocative in Weather is Sweet where a single spotlight traverses the stage from daybreak to sunset.

The Rambert Dancers employ a rotating cast approach where 12 dancers are selected from the company each evening. I can only imagine the planning, preparation and practice that allows for such interchangeability and supports the trust and effortless transitioning throughout.

Hop(e)storm
Artistic Concept and Design: (LA)HORDE – Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, Arthur Harel
Choreography: (LA)HORDE in collaboration with Rambert Dancers and the Rehearsal Directors
Artistic collaborator choreography: Jacquelyn Elder
Re-stagers: Jonatan Myhre Jørgensen and Elena Valls Garcia
Originally performed by & created with: Ballet National de Marseille
Music by: Pierre Aviat
Lighting design by: Eric Wurtz
Costume design by: Salomé Poloudenny
Swing Instructor: Simon Selmon

Weather is Sweet
Choreography (LA)HORDE – Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, Arthur Harel, in collaboration with the dancers and rehearsal coaches of Ballet National de Marseille
Re-stagers: Jonatan Myhre Jørgensen and Elena Valls Garcia
Originally performed by & created with: Ballet National de Marseille
Music by: Pierre Aviat
Lighting design by: Eric Wurtz
Costume design by: Salomé Poloudenny

Room with a View (extract)
(Extract of Room With A View, Premiere 5th Mar 2020 at Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris – and coproduced by Théâtre du Châtelet, Grand Théâtre de Provence; commissioned by Théâtre du Châtelet in association with Décibels Production and Infiné Paris)

Choreography (LA)HORDE – Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, Arthur Harel, in collaboration with the dancers and rehearsal coaches of Ballet National de Marseille
Re-stagers: Vito Giotta and Angel Martinez Hernandez
Originally performed by & created with: Ballet national de Marseille
Artistic concept by: RONE and (LA)HORDE
Music by: Eric Wurtz
Costume design by: Salomé Poloudenny

Rambert x (LA)HORDE: Bring Your Own plays at Southbank Centre until Saturday 10 May.