Creature, C South, Review

Image
Rating (out of 5)
4
Show info
Company
Vanessa Cook Dance (Switzerland)
Production
Vanessa Cook (Choreography) Kate Higginbottom (Director) Moritz Alfons (Composition and Sound Design) Frédéric Moreau (Light Design) Ann Katrin Cooper (Producer)
Jordi Ribot (Text and Dramaturge), Moritz Alfons (Composer and Sound Design),
Mirjam Berger (Lighting Designer)
Performers
Dancers Michał Czyż (PL), Dariusz Seweryn Nowak (PL), Alessandra Ruggeri (IT), Tobias Spori (CH), Vanessa Cook (UK)
Running time
50mins

This is an extraordinary show, dance given another dimension, the physicality taken to another level. An aerial show implies tricks and 'daring performance'. This show is about emotion, engagement and the exploration of the human/animal form, how we interact and encounter each other.

At the start of the show the clear spherical orb containing a foetal human is strangely and iridescently lit. Small movements from within hint at growth and development. Then performers suspended on ropes from the ceiling slowly descend to the floor forming and twisting into an array of shapes as they slowly reach eye level. The spot lights throw long shadows across the stage and then a gradual development in both form and speed begins to build.

This is dance and the ropes are no gimmick, they are an adjunct, a development of what the dancers can undertake and achieve. Steps become jumps, jumps become leaps, leaps become bounds; the sensory absorbtion, the physical impact of the show is enhanced through the use of the equipment but it never stands in the way of the experience. Sometimes the pace is languorous, measured, subtle. At other times it is whirl wind of movement, blur and speed. A beautiful sequence of flowing scenes and a huge array of forms and encounters take place. It's a memorable piece of work with strong visual imagery and lasting emotional impact.

Dance can sometimes stagnate in classical forms or restricting concepts. This kind of work is necessary to push the genre forward, to explore new territory and see what can be found there.

27-28 Aug at 17:35