Lorna Irvine reviews an evening of dance performances at the Tramway, part of the Indepen-Dance festival.
Thursday, 28th August: this, the second night of the showcase at Tramway, in conjunction with Indepen-dance, is a world-class collection of disabled and non-disabled dancers.
Choreographed by the wonderful Marc Brew, AXIS Dance Company's opener Divide has a distinctly sci-fi feel, from the outfits to the dance narrative. The trio's tumbles and clean balletic lines seem like a response to the complexities of everyday interaction and spatial awareness. At one point they tangle like a Chinese puzzle, only to separate and solo off. Other segments are animalistic, like crabs moving sideways or cats slinking into alleyways, hunting fresh prey. A human chain is formed, only to be broken. A gorgeous routine, which twists and turns like the itchy, percussive soundtrack.
Stopgap Dance Company The Awakening: choreographed by Chris Pavia, this is as though a graphic novel has burst to life. The fiery cast of four dancers could be a gang of criminals or vigilantes in their grey clothes and black 'masks' painted around eyes. They move in lithe, staccato bursts to Andy Higgs' low, rumbling soundtrack and tie black ribbons to their bodies as though blood brothers and sisters. A tough, uncompromising collection of solos which come together in a vibrant ensemble at the end.
Solar Bear's The Birth of the Infanta is a combination of physical theatre and dance. Using an impressive ensemble of young people, this Spanish folk tale has strong storytelling from a circus troupe (who act as the forest). When the Infanta runs away to the forest at sixteen, she is seeking something pure, tiring of the cruelty rife in the kingdom. When she meets Carlos, a feral boy, she must teach him how to communicate by miming to him. A tentative romance blossoms. Short this coming-of-age tale may be, but it's very sweet in its simplicity and accessibility.
Caroline Bowditch and Marc Brew Leftovers: these short routines are taken from a piece for Scottish Dance theatre in 2010. In their wheelchairs, Bowditch and Brew parody Swan Lake as only they can- and it's hilarious. Their head movements and facial expressions are an astute pastiche of the reverence with which it is held. Elsewhere, they chase each other, scrap like brother and sister and discuss the philosophy of 'potential'. In the most tender scene, Brew is 'animated' by Bowditch, who fits her hands around his neck, as though they are one body. Naughty, intimate and very lovely, the pair are also gifted with impeccable comic timing.
Presented as part of the Indepen-Dance festival at the Tramway. Details for the programme can be found at: www.indepen-dance.org.uk.
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