L A R T N E C T E L L A B © O T O H P
FESTIVAL DANCE | Reviews
BE CAPTIVATED Young talent on the rise ●●●●●
Ballet school may give you the foundation on which to build a career but live performance provides the tools of the trade. Which is exactly why Central School of Ballet sends its final- year students on the road, under the banner of Ballet Central. From an audience point of view, it’s a chance to see emerging
young talent, brimming with energy and enthusiasm. Be Captivated also gives dancers and audience a chance to experience five very different choreographic styles.
Opening work, Signature 30/31, created by Northern Ballet’s Kenneth Tindall, has a sharp, neo-classical feel. An opportunity to show off flexibility and timing, the dancers attack it with style – but it’s technique, rather than feeling, that wins out.
Christopher Gable’s Fireside Pas de Deux from Cinderella cranks the emotional quotient up a notch, with a touching, wholly believable display of young love. Unlike Stacey Haynes’ Love on Top, which feels all wrong (through no fault of the choreographer). Haynes’ moves to Beyonce are sassy and strong – but these are ballet not commercial dancers, and they just don’t have the swagger to carry it off.
Mapping #3 by Darshan Singh Bhuller features some playful video trickery that has the crowd in raptures. But it is Christopher Marney’s anon. that steals the show. A fun, lighthearted narrative ballet reminiscent of Matthew Bourne’s work, it gives the dancers a real chance to show off their characterisation.
Like any student company, the dancers in Ballet Central have lessons to learn – in this instance, to feel as much as they’re thinking, and to know what’s right for them – but with anon. in particular, they already know how to entertain a crowd. (Kelly Apter) ■ New Town Theatre, 220 0143, until 12 Aug, 8.05pm, £14 (£12).
TANGRAM Juggling and dance create harmony ●●●●●
L.O.V.E. The greatest passion can soon turn sour ●●●●● DIEGO Y ULISES Masculinity in confined quarters ●●●●●
This choreographic take on a developing relationship eloquently combines dance and juggling. However, like many examples of its subject matter, it takes a while to get going. Using Cristiana Casadio’s expressive ballet
style, and Stefan Sing’s juggling skills, the duo (also a couple) craft a slowly evolving picture of two individuals coming into harmony. At first boundaries are drawn, white balls marking a divide down the stage’s centre. Later, when they venture into each other’s realms, it’s interesting to see Casadio’s freedom and enthusiasm while Sing sits awkwardly in the corner.
Though some of Tangram feels as if it could be edited down, there are lots of intelligent and sensitive ideas that bloom into life as the show progresses. Playful passages where they swoop and chase each other, or where Sing discovers that human limbs are not as easy to juggle as rubber balls, show the most panache. But the complex intimacy that comes later, while not as exciting, is perhaps a more lyrical and sincere expression of the piece’s heart. (Lucy Ribchester) ■ Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 25 Aug (not 7, 14, 21), 11.40am, £9–£11 (£7–£9).
60 THE LIST FESTIVAL 8–15 Aug 2013
Directed by the late Nigel Charnock – a founding father of contemporary British physical theatre – L.O.V.E. grapples with the most famous literary ménage a trois in Shakespeare’s sonnets. Divided between recitations of the texts and choreographed illustrations of the strange and familiar passions, it interprets the Bard’s words of love in bracing ways, lending new perspectives to the well-worn lyricism.
The cast members are clearly defined as the poet,
the mistress and the young man who becomes their mutual fascination, and all three get their own readings of diverse sonnets. But Charnock’s vision is harsh: by the finale, the three are caught in a hostage situation – the certainty of early passion replaced by jealousy and doubt. There’s a sense of repetition – the mood of the
sonnets is filtered through the same dark lens: even the playful lines become ominous, and the lack of variation in tone unfortunately allows the show to drag. But Charnock’s intensity and imagination guides the three talented performers through a tempest of sex and despair. (Gareth K Vile) ■ Assembly Roxy, 623 3030, until 25 Aug (not 12, 19), 11.15am, £10–£12 (£8–£10).
Regular Fringe-goers will be used to sitting in shows where the performers outnumber the audience. But this new venue reduces it right down to just you, on your own, in a booth. Curtains drawn, headphones in place – and then the light comes on.
Inside the three metre-squared peep show space, two men appear. Casually dressed, they chat amiably, occasionally bursting into moments of synchronised action. So far, so pleasant – especially when Arvo Part’s emotive Spiegel im Spiegel starts filtering through the headphones.
Then the mood turns sour, testosterone and adrenalin levels start to rise and an aggressive wrestling match replaces the hip hop / capoeira / contemporary moves that went before. Argentinean duo Diego y Ulises have much
to offer as dancers, and this self-titled piece is an interesting experiment in intimacy and male relationships. It’s a very private affair, however, especially at the start when they talk inaudibly to each other, effectively locking us out from their exchange. But the quirkiness of the venue makes up for the lack of emotional connection. (Kelly Apter) ■ PEEP @ Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 26 Aug (not 13), 1pm & 2pm, £6.