Festival Dance
Telephone Booking Fringe 0131 226 0000 International Festival 0131 473 2000 Book Festival 0845 373 5888 Art Festival 07500 461 332 LA LUTTE Contemporary meets combat in a strong male duet ●●●●●
This is strong dance. This is male dance. But this is also the kind of dance that looks like two boys fighting over whose next on the Playstation. La Lutte (French for ‘the wrestle’) is the new duet from Belgium/UK-based choreographer Filip Van Huffel and his company, Retina Dance.
Set under ‘floodlights’ with a plain white gym-like floor, it runs a gamut of male emotions, from tense confrontation to deep introspection and that unsettling brand of sibling rivalry that looks like it could end in real harm. This is tense, unflinching contemporary dance, with Matthew Slater and Steven Martin – dressed simply in black martial arts trousers – performing with a sweat-drenched intensity that practically grabs you in a martial arts hold.
Underpinned by a powerful soundtrack that runs from ecclesiastical to squidgy electronica this is no easy viewing. But its sheer physicality and visceral combat-meet- contemporary dance language will have you on the edge of your seats. (Ellie Carr) ■ Zoo Roxy, 662 6892, until 30 Aug, 7pm, £12 (£9).
MARIA DE BUENOS AIRES An Argentine feast for all five senses ●●●●●
A programme note warns audience members going into this anarchic reinterpretation of Astor Piazzolla’s already surreal 1968 ‘tango opera’ not to worry about following any sort of narrative.
Thus released, you’re free to let
teeming chaos wash over you. Loosely, this is about Maria, the spirit of Argentine Tango, distilled here into the voluptuous, corseted form of Argentine chanteuse Gabriela Bergallo. Really, it’s a full-throated love song to the passionate, pungent corners of Buenos Aires. Russian Fringe First winners Akhe
32 THE LIST 26 Aug–9 Sep 2010
play assorted lascivious citizens with their characteristically malevolent clowning, the accordion-led live music snakes and charms and, at times, heady gusts of garlic, freshly-ground coffee or frying steak fill the auditorium. And there is tango, whip- sharp-sexy tango, flicked with shocking ease off the hips of dancers Alexandra Vachter and Mikhail Immamutdinoff. That initial surrender is necessary: this production wants to overpower you, wonderfully. Let it, and you won’t regret it. (Kirstin Innes) ■ Zoo Southside, 662 6892, until 30 Aug, 8.40pm, £12 (£10).
CAPE DANCE COMPANY Pop star-slick, but patchy ●●●●●
The key to what doesn’t quite work about this uneven showcase from one of South Africa’s most acclaimed young companies is right there in the
first piece – Michael Thomas’ pastoral/pop fusion Treasures of the Heart. They’re technically superb on the languid balletic movements, but aren’t able to transition seamlessly between these and the deliberately cheesy pop-video gestures woven into the work. The dancers are all talented, but while their bodies go through the motions, there’s little feeling behind it. Jittery satire on the fashion industry i-Dollf is surer ground for a troupe of dancers who could be models, and there’s some stunning comic physicality here, but they’re a little too slick and sanitised to really do justice to the tribal rhythms in the finale triumvirate of African-fusion works. Given the country’s history, it’s also disquieting to see these pieces performed by a predominately white company. (Kirstin Innes) ■ Zoo Roxy, 662 6892, until 29 Aug, 2.30pm, £12 (£10).
TRANSFORMATION Harrowing but uplifting tale of survival ●●●●● At first sight writer, director and performer Gemskii appears to have created a welcoming, informal atmosphere in her small space at the Roxy, handing out programmes and opening her show with a polite invitation to ‘laugh, even though this story is often shocking’. She’s not exaggerating. What follows is a breathless monologue, detailing the performer’s tumultuous life story from very early childhood to her late-30s, a harrowing tale of child abuse, drug
addiction, seven rapes, including an attempted gang rape, enforced prostitution, self-harming and numerous suicide attempts. But – and here’s the thing – there’s nothing self-pitying about Gemskii’s journey, and the dispassionate, almost flippant rendition of her distressing tale is shot through with precise deliberate movement that underlines the violence and sadness that runs across the story. While bookending the monologue with discussion of the Transformation Cycle seems a little tenuous and unnecessary, overall it’s an incredibly dynamic piece of theatre that leaves Gemskii drenched in sweat and the audience moved. (Allan Radcliffe) ■ Zoo Roxy, 662 6892, until 30 Aug, 11.50am, £9 (£6).
PACO PEÑA FLAMENCO DANCE COMPANY Where Spanish and African cultures collide
With its close proximity to Africa, Spain is often seen as a gateway to a better life. Some immigrants are successful, others not, but it is their desire for greener grass, followed by a longing for home, which inspired Paco Peña’s latest show, Quimeras.
‘The Spanish media is full of examples of people trying to get to Europe through the Canary Islands and dying in the ocean,’ he says, ‘because Europe is seen as such a haven and a promised paradise – but it’s a chimera, and after all their struggles they end up being the underdog anyway. But they are actually a great
contribution to our society, and I want to show that in a positive light.’
Within a broadly painted narrative, Peña aims to showcase the diverse music and dance styles both cultures have to offer – and how, if they can overcome their differences, great things can blossom.
‘The show highlights the musical richness of the African cultures – and the richness of our Spanish culture, which I exemplify through flamenco,’ he explains. ‘But eventually they have to integrate into each other, because two groups of people mixing together eventually make a better thing than their separate parts.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Edinburgh Playhouse, 473 2000, 2–4 Sep, 8pm, £8–£28.50.