Review: Over and Over (and over again), Sadler’s Wells East

Over and Over (and over again) brings rave culture to the stage of Sadler’s Wells East. Dan Daw’s narrative and dance is paired with Stef O’Driscoll’s storytelling and links to rave culture for a unique dance piece that looks towards unity as a form of resistance and liberation achieved through movement.

Five dancers from Candoco Dance Company grace the stage in a search for a utopia. Forefronting disabled and non-disabled dancers, dance becomes a joyous unification of sharing histories and telling stories. Against an uplifting, heavy beat soundtrack scored by Guy Connelly, a combination of drum and bass, RnB, grime and house music transforms the stage into a club. The dancers imbue this high energy through a mixture of defined movements and letting loose.

A series of words are projected onto a plastic sheet behind that guide the audience through the narrative: “Struggle, dream, unity, liberate, desire, solidarity, survival”. Whilst this aids in separating the segments of dance, it is perhaps too obvious as these sentiments are already channelled through the dancing itself. It is a testament to the dancers that they evoke emotion so well through their performance.

Midway through, the pace slows for a further exploration of love and collective unity as the group lay together on the stage. Reminiscent of a post-club afters, they rest together to ‘chill out’, bodies intertwined as James Olivo holds a phone that projects an up-close of the scene onto the plastic sheet behind. Both intimate and endearing, community is centred through hugging, touching and uplifting each other. This production is unique in its attitude towards dance; it does not force dancers to push through pain but to resist against it and rest. However, this does pose a pacing problem for the show.

We later return to the upbeat energy as the party continues. From romance to friendship, the production encompasses the feeling of club music, of discarding inhibitions and losing oneself in the music. This is emphasised by a stand out scene of Maiya Leeke, her top glistening as she beautifully raises her arms and spins in her wheelchair. It enshrouds the audience in a glitterball effect; a fabulous touch that garnered some cheers.

The piece culminates with the party finishing, all dancers exiting the stage but Olivo. A calmer beat plays as he performs a beautiful solo, contorting his hands and feet, dragging them along in what seems to be tiredness.

Over and Over (and over again) is an endearing dance production that is distinct in its message of “what do you desire for those who are not here? To be with us.” It fosters a sense of community as gentle resistance. Its exemplary soundtrack paired with the infectious energy of the dancers makes you want to get up out of your seat and join them.

Co-directed by Dan Daw and Stef O’Driscoll
Dancing and collaboration by Anna Seymour, Annie Edwards, James Olivio, Maiya Leeke and Temitope Ajose
Executive direction by Liz Counsell
Production management by Froud and Helen Mudridge
Rehearsal direction and choreography consultation by Amy Butler
Lighting design by Nai Nagai
Composition by Guy Connelly
Design concept and costume design concept by Erin Guan
Costume realisation by Shanti Freed

Over and Over (and over again) plays at Sadler’s Wells East until Friday 4 July.