Jo Turbitt reviews an evening of dance that is summed up as 'the dull, the beautiful and the quirky'.
Gorgeous dancers, and 2 out of 3 pieces living up to the Rambert standard. Mark Baldwin has put together a good evening of dance--however not a great one. It's varied and, yes, it presents a range of styles and dance from the company, but not all of the pieces are strong, which begs the question why put them in a programme if they don't excel in quality? Three works from three choreographers: 'Cardoon Club' by Henrietta Horn, 'Roses' by Paul Taylor, 'Seven for a secret, never to be told' by Mark Baldwin; or in other words, the dull, the beautiful and the quirky.
Usually found at the end of their evenings programme, Henrietta Horn's ‘Cardoon Club’ opened the triple bill; I've seen it before and it was no different this time round. There was too much nonchalant hip twitching, too much repetition and too many non-moments. It had no flow, no connection and very nearly no choreography. Horn has a very disjointed concept, struggling to find its identity as a piece of dance. It is described by the choreographer as absurd; change that to incongruous.
The second piece was a dance rooted in neo-classical symmetry overflowing with fluid weaving elegance. Paul Taylor's ‘Roses’, choreographed in 1985, is proof that the beauty of classical contemporary lives on in the bodies and technique of these exquisite dancers. Paul Taylor's choreographic voice lives on in this piece, which the company bring to the stage with sensitivity and respectful honour. The movements echo Alvin Ailey, Mark Morris and Macmillan; at times I felt that I was watching Taylor and these three choreographers sketch their genius across the stage with swirls of colour and elegant fluid gorgeousness. Designed using the soft colours of a Jack Vettriano beach scene, the deep midnight blues and pale coffee colours complement and enhance the piece with gentle beauty.
The company's closing shot is from artistic director Mark Baldwin. Title piece, ‘Seven for a Secret, Never to be Told’ is a beautiful story of quirky characters set in a world of magical watercolour. Baldwin's choreographic voice is evident in his use of Cunningham technique but manages to smoothly blend this in with a playful use of release technique to evoke an essence of child's play whispering through the movement. The choreography is influenced by more than just the time signature of the music; he has manipulated the intricacies of the score into playful gorgeous movement. Baldwin has created characteristic choreography which reminded me of the work of Sir Fredrick Ashton, specifically The Tales of Beatrix Potter; quirky, emotive, characteristic movements sitting against classical contemporary technique. The dancers bring the attributes of the personalities they're playing to life with such joy and energy, their gorgeous technique and passion for dance contributing to the performance of the work. Definitely one of his best pieces to date, Mark Baldwin has created a delightful piece, which to watch is like looking into the box of delights. It's colourful, it's playful, it's light-hearted and it works.
Two out of three isn't bad; shame about the first piece setting the evening off on the wrong dynamic. Change that and they'll have a beautiful triple bill.
Run complete at the Royal but is continuing its tour of the UK.
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