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Reviews {DANCE}
PINOCCHIO: A FANTASY OF PLEASURES Decidedly not Disney ●●●●●
Sometimes the spectacle is enough. The experience of watching Company XIV’s radical reinterpretation of Pinocchio is a little like gorging on gourmet food: something sensual and rich that might not offer you too much nourishment in the long run, but feels worth it in the moment. This Pinocchio, sourced in part from Carlo Collodi’s original
fable, bears very little resemblance to the squeaky Disney fairytale: they’ve concentrated on the Blue Fairy (now Pinocchio’s love interest) and the extended metaphor of Pleasure Island rather than any nose-related moralising. The story unfolds at the overwrought emotional levels of opera, perhaps because it’s a natural fit for the company’s ongoing fascination with the camp, gorgeous seediness of the Baroque era where sordidness always threatens to seep through. Choreographer Austin McCormick impedes his female dancers in chunky, five-inch stilettos, which brings a sort of studied ugliness to the elegance of their classical ballet lines.
Pinocchio, played by street dancer Jay Donn, thuds heavily around the stage, his every landing deliberately crashed and clunky, and he’s paired with Laura Careless’ fluttering, rapturous Blue Fairy to heighten the contrast. On Pleasure Island, when the corsets and full skirts are stripped back to black leather and bare breasts (no, I don’t remember the Blue Fairy looking like that either) the clunkiness evolves into the hip-banging rolls of traditional burlesque. Because McCormick works at such a high aesthetic level, flipping it round to expose this dark, grotesque underbelly makes perfect sense.
Incidentally, in case the previous paragraphs haven’t been enough warning, don’t take your children. Fortunately the rogue five-year-old allowed into the performance I saw was removed before the BDSM orgy scene, where the donkeys were denoted by their gimp masks. (Kirstin Innes) ■ New Town Theatre, 220 0143, until 29 Aug, 7pm, £12–£14.
THE BALLET RUSE Sneaking a cheeky peek at the secret lives of ballerinas ●●●●● CIRCOLOMBIA: URBAN INTIMO Impressive circus showcase that leaves you wanting more ●●●●●
2011 has been quite a year for peeking backstage at the ballet, with the BBC documentary series The Agony and the Ecstasy and Darren Aronofsky’s thriller Black Swan. The Ballet Ruse is an altogether more irreverent look at the painstaking discipline of the industry.
Irish duo Muirne Bloomer and Emma O’Kane
tramp onto a stage draped with a wonky backcloth and smashed mirror, bearing the weight of a barre. Their foot-creaking warm-ups, pitting ballet against boxing, set the tone for a piece that is both illuminating and at times irresistibly funny. There are moments of grace as they recreate
classic choreography, clownish comedy – sneaking a crafty onstage fag – heartbreaking revelations about the lengths girls will go to in order to succeed, and a gorgeous finale, stunning in its simplicity as they make marionettes of their ballet slippers. But there are also sequences which sit more clumsily, treading a slightly surreal line between humour and seriousness and breaking the flow of an otherwise perfect pas de deux. (Lucy Ribchester) ■ Dance Base, 225 5525, until 21 Aug, times vary, £7.
This colourful, multi-faceted circus skills showcase opens with allusions to the impoverished backgrounds of its cast members. The master of ceremonies crawls into the space inside a waste bucket while screens at the back of the stage show images of the cramped projects of Cali in Western Columbia. But there’s nothing self-pitying or maudlin about this show. Rather, its mix of stories and moods is testimony to the skill and versatility of these youngsters. The performers take to the stage to a stirring
amient soundtrack, but some of the acrobatic feats are so elaborate and daring that they can only be watched through the fingers. Each sequence starts small and builds gradually, adding further jeopardy: a seemingly innocuous skipping session grows into an exhilarating blur of back-flips and somersaults.
While hugely impressive, the show is far too short at around 55 minutes, and when the lights come up at the end there’s a almost a sense of disbelief from the crowd, as if we could have sat through at least the same again. (Allan Radcliffe) ■ Assembly Hall, 623 3030, until 29 Aug, noon, £14–£15 (£13–£14).
FLAWLESS: INTERGALACTIC DREAM Charismatic street dance for a prime-time audience ●●●●●
The boys from Flawless are dishing up street dance via The Chippendales. Ten sets of chiselled abs peek out from tinfoil-shiny white and silver ‘spacesuits’. Flirting and posturing intersperse with stylish locking, popping and breaking in a neatly synchronised flow.
‘And the trousers,’ screeches one female, as a Flawless member pops off his top. It’s that kind of show. If you don’t mind the hen night atmosphere that follows this slickly handsome crew, new show Intergalactic Dream is great entertainment. The narrative is ropey (four dancers on a space voyage, each choosing a ‘talisman’ that sparks ensemble routines ranging from a Michael Jackson tribute to Matrix-inspired).
But like the show that launched them (Britain’s Got Talent) and film that made them (Streetdance 3D), it’s as easy as Saturday night telly. If anything it’s just too homogenous: the closing freestyle section providing the flips and tricks we’ve waited for, a tantalising glimpse of the personalities behind brand Flawless. (Ellie Carr) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 6pm, £14.50–£18.50 (£13.50–£17.50).
18–25 Aug 2011 THE LIST 53
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