National Dance Company Wales |
| National Dance Company Wales- Spring Season 2012 , Wales Millennium Centre , January 28, 2012 |
National Dance Company Wales spring season holds together as a programme in a way that has at times proved ellusive.Artistic director Ann Sholem either buys in works that she has seen and has them taught to her splendid troupe or commissions leading practitioners to create new pieces. This can mean some seasons we are presented with contrasting if not conflicting mixtures of dance styles although all exquisitely performed. To some eyes, the dances may lack that superficial contrast (the sepia season?) yet what is created is a statement of artistic coherency. The choreographer that most displays this is Eleesha Drennan who has been artistically raised by NDCWales and whose though distinctive vocabulary most resonates with the styles we too have been exposed to over recent years. Paced by a jazzy score, sculptured solos and intimate ensemble work, Drennan considers identity, image and demonstrates vulnerability and interdependency. Working with artistic Sue Williams, Drennan’s Phantoms of Us has her dancers as seemingly naked as possible, which is vital to her theme right from the opening where they appear from behind Williams’ body shape silhouettes. This latest incarnation of choreographer Ohad Naharin’s much lauded B/olero & Black Milk follows. B/olero hits the spot. This quirky duet between Annabeth Berkeley and Neus Gil Cortes is a real crowd-pleaser. The Isao Tomita’s synthesizer mishmash of Ravel’s score is excused by the charm of the work, its suitability to the securely-grounded dancers and their mechanical repetition, muscle flexing solos and counterpoint. This leads straight into, Black Milk, which NDCWales performs by an all-male cast. The dancers smear mud on their faces before launching into their marimbas’ driven swirling, leaping and twirling tribal assault until one of the dancers decides to wash it off at the end. The highlight of the night is Itzik Galili’s new The Grammar of Silence. Galili is at his peak with seemingly effortless choreography that has an instantly recognisable, accessible style but always something new to say. The result is delicious as he and lighting designer Yaron Abulafia create a language of yearning and rejection. This most theatrical and satisfying piece proves a showcase for dancer Gareth Mole and a gripping vehicle for this integrated body of dancers. Narrative is certainly not necessary to the enjoyment of dance – don’t go striving for comprehension. However, Galili has a story to tell so go listen with your eyes. The tour’s Wales venues are Aberystwyth, Swansea, Milford Haven and Mold. www.ndcwales.co.uk |
Reviewed by: Mike Smith |
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