The Aberystwyth Arts Centre was presented with three of the five dances
last week from the National Dance Company Wales’ Spring Season 2015. The
varying styles that the choreographers incorporated made for a diverse evening
of dance from this prestigious company, although a common theme of
relationships and interaction was evident.
WALKING MAD - by John Inger
A strong opening to the
production, Walking Mad by Scandinavian
choreographer John Inger explored relationships and the contrasting emotions
that come from having them. Set to the soundtrack of the Bolero, Inger used
nine dancers in solo, partner and group dances to present relationships with
oneself or between people. Feelings of celebration, loneliness and fear so
closely interwoven in this 20 minutes piece were highlighted using an extremely
versatile set comprising of a wall allowed the dancers to move through doors,
climb and use it as a horizontal and vertical plane. This and the vibrancy of
costume and colour meant that the journey this performance took never ceased to
excite.
THEY SEEK TO FIND THE HAPPINESS
THEY SEEM – by Lee Johnston
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| Matteo Marfolgia and Natalie Corne |
The mood
significantly changed in Lee Johnston’s They
Seek to Find Happiness They Seem, which was also an exploration of
relationships. However, it focused on the separation and isolation between
couples and was presented in a sombre and delicate, yet desperate fashion.
Unlike Walking Mad, the interaction
between the pair of dancers (Matteo Marfoglia and Natalie Corne on this
evening) was kept at a minimum; the couple never had any eye contact – even
when making physical contact – until the last moment of the piece, which made
it extremely poignant. A more subtle approach of the presentation of a
relationship shown in its minimal lighting and no set, this performance used
many movements in unison or conversely the two dancers on opposite side of the
stage having ‘lost’ each other. This showed the pair’s longing to be together,
but lack of an emotional connection, leading to a feeling of complete isolation
throughout, especially at the end of the piece.
TUPLET – by Alexander Ekman
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| Tuplet by Alexander Ekman |
An intensely exciting and
enjoyable dance to end with was Tuplet
by Alexander Ekman, a choreographer who frequently incorporates rhythm into his
work, so decided to centre a whole piece on the element. This dance featured
six dancers who all performed various examples of rhythms; be it improvising
individually to create a wall of sound accompanied by movement, or working in
unison to create movement informed by words, conversation or sounds. This dance
interchanges the eleven dancers in the
company on different nights, allowing room for change in the piece every time
it is performed and the amount of effort both physically and mentally that it
took to perform was astounding. This piece was very gripping, my only wish was
that it was longer as I did not want it to end!
4*
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