Review: This is Rambert, Sadler’s Wells

This is Rambert showcases three works which it describes as handpicked, bite-size, high-impact pieces from artists with something urgent to say, to celebrate 100 years of the internationally renowned dance company. For an ingenue as I am in the field of dance, it was a thrilling, beautiful and moving evening which really allows this talented company to shine.

There are three pieces of work. The first, called Crimson, is set in front of a dark red velvet curtain at the front of the darkly lit stage, beginning with a piano and a pianist at one side of the stage and a man sat head in hands on a dark French bistro-style curved-back wooden chair. As the pianist plays, he begins to dance. Other members of the company, dressed smartly in black or white, join in, playing out the small dramatic interactions you might expect to see in a back-room bar: posturing, fighting, seducing. At times the music switches up, moving to French phonograph music, or a bar-room singer, as the dancers sweep round each other, collide and interact. It is beautiful to watch.

The second piece, called Hop(e)storm, is a very different creature. The programme says it channels the rhythms and energy of Lindy Hop through a post-rave lens. The dancers appear on a bare stage in two cohorts, and – to loud metallic noises – run across the stage launching themselves at their opposite number, who catch them, spin them and drag them to a new position on the stage so they can start the process again. In time, music grows out of the discordant sounds, and order and harmony develop in the dancers, while the stage lighting moves to red and green. They become a vibrant pack of partnered dancers kicking their white trainers in unison and twisting together, reflecting the ‘hop’ of the title. The music intensifies into industrial house music and the dancing becomes more dynamic and exciting, taking on rave elements. It ends with one couple on the now empty stage spotlit in an embrace. This is a really exciting watch; I really enjoyed how it builds and the speed and technical ability is quite breathtaking. The music by Pierre Avat and the lighting by Eric Wurtz really add to the dynamism of the piece.

The third piece is more of a story-led dance piece. Gallery of Consequences is set in an airport and details the little encounters and journeys that people experience within it, from checking in luggage to missing a flight. The robotic way in which the dancers move is impressive, highlighting the highly processed and formulaic way people move through an airport. The staging itself holds more interest than the other pieces, with a large arrivals and departures board video screen at the back and moveable seats and desks. It is really enjoyable to see how the dancers use their bodies to interpret funny, moving, or even confrontational encounters. One criticism of this piece is that, at points, there is too much to see, with so many dancers on stage doing different things.

I am a regular theatre goer but not a regular attender of dance performances. I am never sure whether the physicality or the story telling should take precedence in a dance piece. The first two works feel emotional and vibrant but lack a clear storyline. The third piece is a piece of proper drama – possibly too filled with storylines for dance purists – but it makes for compulsive viewing. The programme promises dance which has something urgent to say; if the urgent message is that contemporary dance is going strong, then it delivered that. It was a highly enjoyable and engaging evening. I was entertained, thrilled and utterly transported. If this production is anything to go by, I will put ‘attend more Rambert dance shows’ on my ‘to do list’ for the future. 

In Crimson 

Choreography: Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber
Music: Enrico Caruso
Lighting: Nadav Barea
Set and Costume design: Bobbi Jene Smith
Restager: Payton Johnson

Hope(e)Storm 

Artistic Concept and Direction: (LA) HORDE – Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer, Arthur Harel
Choreography (LA) HORDE in collaboration with Rambert Dancers and rehearsal directors
Artistic Collaborator Choreography: Jacquelyn Elder
Music: Pierre Avat
Lighting: Eric Wurtz
Costume: Salomé Poloudenny
Swing Instructor Simon Selmon

Gallery of Consequences 

Choreographer & Director: Emma Evelein
Assistant Choreographer: Emma Farnell-Watson
Sound Designer: Raven Bush
Dramaturg: Amy Baty
Lighting Designer: Ryan Joseph Stafford
Costumes Creative Director: Susan Bender Whitfield
Video Designer: AMIANGELIKA
Sound Design: Raven Bush

This is Rambert plays at Sadler’s Wells until Saturday 13 June before going on tour.