Click here!

Arts:Blog

Festival Review: Natalia Osipova & Guests

Jo Turbitt reviews a production full of stunning talents.

Natalia Osipova and her men deliver a gorgeous evening of dance, each bringing sumptuous injections of energy and artistry to the various different pieces. Osipova makes her mark in each of the works, each showing us a different side to her, exhibiting her talents as an artist, a soloist, a partner and a member of a trio. Her men compliment and enhance the ballerina in the pieces, as well as firmly making their own magnificent presence felt. Sergei Polunin is a majestic partner while both James O'Hara and Jason Kittelberger are adonises in their craft and stature. The triple bill starts off gently (too gently), blows your mind and then caresses your senses.

"Run Mary Run" is reminiscent of a 1950's film: episodic in structure with characters akin to James Dean and Tippi Hendren—the work was nice. It existed, it was part of the show, it had a bit of dance (not much) and quite a lot of acting to music. Arthur Pita has choreographed a piece which is far too keen to tell a story than exploring the creative and choreographic potential of the idea, his characters and the uber-capable dancers.

"Qutb" is without a doubt the most exceptional, stunning and glorious piece of the evening. It sings loud, virtuous and proud. Osipova, O'Hara and Kittelberger are a dream team. Both males are very similar yet deftly different in their movement voice, both very majestic, like two Greek gods displaying a tender prowess and a powerful synergy with their female counterpart. It’s sumptuous. The bodies writhe, always completely connected whether they are touching or revolving around each other like molecules in space. Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui has choreographed a piece in which the birth of a true fusion between ballet and release-contemporary has occurred. It's the closest to a symbiosis of the two styles: neither one dominates, but both join in a gorgeous lullaby.

"Silent Echo" completes our insight into Osipova, taking us into a sculptural world of shadows, echoes and inventive movement firmly rooted within a balletic vocabulary. Russell Maliphant has tapped into the dancer and has found the grit and daring that makes her tick. Partnered again by Polunin, the two figures spin like particles, responding to a tapestry of sounds; their tender yet dramatic energies create an exciting relationship which Maliphant has used to great effect in the structure and content of the work. He's knitted technique, attitude, grit and daring into this gorgeous duet which Osipova and Polunin dance gloriously.

Overall, the evening of work places not only Osipova but Polunin, O'Hara and Kittelberger firmly on the global stage as stunning talents which have so much to say and contribute to their art.

Natalia Osipova and Guests was presented as part of the Edinburgh International Festival and ran at the Festival Theatre from August 12-14.

Comments: 0 (Add)

To post a comment, you need to sign in or register. Forgotten password? Click here.

Find a show


Search the site


Find us on …

Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterFind us on YouTube

Click here!