A showcase of Cuban artistry across time and space.Rating
Good!
Sadler’s Wells continues to host impressive dance experiences from across the globe, and Acosta Danza’s A Decade in Motion is no exception. This company was established in 2015 to produce dancers that combine the dance aesthetics of classical and contemporary with the complex rhythms of Cuba. The balance of posture, music and poetry is eloquent in its clean lines and deceptive in pace and interaction.
There is no doubting the calibre of Carlos Acosta’s company, which here showcases fascinating interpretations from Hispanic choreographers. The contrasting programme of four pieces transitions us from the clinical precision of La Ecuación (The Equation), to the UK premieres for both 98 Dias (98 days) and LLamada (Gesture), culminating in De Punta de Cabo (From Top to Toe or Point to Cape).
The programme opens in silence with La Ecuación, choreographed by George Céspedes. Stark black box staging with a stylised lit skeleton box frame within showcases the dancers both singularly and collaboratively. This is a challenging piece, contrasting muted lighting with sensorily shocking bright white lights (Erick Grass). Auditorily, we move from silence to rhythms of marimbas and maracas to techno beats (X Alfonso). This makes the performance quite jarring to engage with as dancers demonstrate linear discipline in their forms and interactions.
The premiere of 98 Dias (created by Javier De Frutos) takes us to a quadrangle framed by uniformed blue boiler suits, depicting the formality and structure of 1920s Cuban environs. The underlying beat of a ticking clock, together with the striking poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca’s Son De Negros en Cuba is both elegant and demanding. Throat clearing/coughing from the speaker punctuates the piece, perhaps referencing the redolence of cigar smoke in Cuban air. The company inhabit their space with speed and elegance, drawing upon acrobatic elegance and structure. The haunting tones of Estrella Morente’s singing entwine with spoken word, emphasising the eloquence of Cuban culture:
“Oh Cuba! Oh curvature of sighs and mud!
I shall go to Santiago.”
The emotional, expressive Llamada, choreographed by Goyo Montero, draws inspiration from Lorca’s Ode to Walt Whitman, and the aching depictions of rage, pain and anguish are palpable. Staging is occasionally lost in the wings, stage left, leaving audience members craning to view. Lighting (Goyo Montero, Nicholas Fischtel) is brooding and sensual; however, the dark tones occasionally make the dancers’ movements difficult to discern. Costumes (Angelo Alberto) provide fluid contrast to the honed bodies of the company and their increasingly strained expressions as they gurn with anger and torment. The melodious voice of Rosalia adds a contrasting poignancy to this intense depiction; transitioning to deliberately discordant music as the company form stark, pained expressions at the footlights.
The fourth and final piece, De Punta a Cabo, choreographed by Alexis Fernández and Yaday Ponce, transports us to Havana’s Malecón esplanade. The clever use of videography and dusk-to-dawn lighting (Yaron Abulafia), provides a multilevel experience of this talented company. We are indulged with bright, individualistic costuming (Vladimir Cuenca), and the breathtaking Cuban repertoire from salsa to pointe; earthy to elegant dance expression. The entire company revel in their individual and collective movement, with rolling layers of complex rhythm, the joy of Havana and the embodiment of living.
Whilst I revelled in the final De Punta a Cabo, which celebrates Cuban spirit, preceding pieces confused my senses, leaving me grateful for silent transitions to reflect on their individuality. Nevertheless, Acosta Danza continues to engage the world with talented Cuban artistry; this company has such breadth of capability and promise that I await the next opportunity to experience them.
La Ecuación Choreography, Set & Costume Design: George Céspedes; Music: X Alfonso; Lighting Design: Erick Grass
98 Dias Choreography, Costumes & Lighting Design: Javier De Frutos; Music: Estrelle Morente (featuring Michael Nyman)
Llamada Choreography Goyo Montero; Assistant Choreography: Iván Gil-Ortega & Carlos Lázaro; Costume Design: Angelo Alberto; Lighting Design Goyo Montero & Nicholas Fischtel; Music: Owen Belton, Miguel Poveda & Rosalia
De Punta a Cabo Choreography: Alexis Fernández; Assistant Choreography: Yaday Ponce; Music: Kumar, Kike Wolf & Omar Sosa; Costume Design: Vladimir Cuenca; Lighting Design: Yaron Abulafia
A Decade in Motion runs until Saturday 27 September
