Jo Turbitt reviews the latest tour by the renowned company.
A triple bill from Rambert is always a delight; they deliver an evening of work that excites, tantalises and leaves you pontificating ideas, concepts and choreography.
‘A Lina Curva’ kicked off the evening with vigour and sass. Rambert’s dancers are athletic and sassy—technicians who ooze personality. This piece (a firm classic in their repertoire) showcases them beautifully. A fizzy familiar opener leaving you giddy before watching the first of the evening’s two new pieces.
‘Symbosis’ worked with a composition of juxtaposition; deliciously fluid movement vocabulary that twisted, slithered and moved in constant motion against a stark, metallic backdrop. Their majesty in this piece resonated through the work, and again their prowess and excellence as a company shone in abundance. The fluidity in the movement didn’t quite transfer into the structure; a little too episodic and ‘bitty’, interrupting the flow of the work – maybe this was the intention but it got in the way of my connection to the work.
‘Goat’ closed the evening—a global premiere and a worthy showstopper. My faith in dance theatre has been restored: cleverly woven ideas linked together by a clear concept, executed brilliantly and intelligently. The wave length of the work was spot on with the humour en pointe. Set to a soundtrack of Nina Simone music, the piece took the artistic exploration of cultures and society to a new level. It was bold, it was daring, it was a step in another direction for the company and it was a valuable risk to take as it paid off.
Each piece in the programme is accompanied by live music: a samba band, an orchestra and a jazz trio, enriching the work and the connection of the dancers to the movement.
Long live Rambert’s varied repertoire of sass, poise and humour; as a company with a long established history, they are taking a firm stand as a company for the 21st century.
Reviewed at the Festival Theatre. Its run has ended there.
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