5 STARS, March 28-29. Richard Davies enjoys a world class performance of dance by the Rambert company at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking as part of their UK tour
Jane Hobson
Two things struck me as I sat down to watch this wonderful performance. Firstly how fortunate we are in the UK to have a dance company of the quality of the Rambert, that for 90 years has pushed the boundaries of contemporary dance, while also promoting a passion for dance to the widest audience through their regular tours and educational workshops. Indeed, as I entered the theatre, it was noticeable that the audience was almost entirely teenagers, reflecting how the Rambert has now become established on the GSCE and A level dance syllabus. Secondly, how fortunate we are in Surrey to have such a great space as the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, with a stage big enough to accommodate performance companies of this quality.
First up was a new production entitled The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses that premiered in May 2017 at Sadlers Wells, with choreography by Aletta Collins. The dance was based on a short film called Tango by Zbigniew Rybczynski that won an Oscar in 1983. Described as “an absurd dance of social disconnection”, the film has the virtue of being only 8 minutes long, but the dance it has inspired runs to about four times the length.
I was intrigued enough to watch the film later on Youtube which reminded me of the classic scene in the Marx Brothers’ film A Night at the Opera when people crowd hilariously into a confined cabin. In Tango, this includes a couple having sex, a young man doing physical jerks and a boy with a football. All these characters and more appear in the Rambert dance version, which although entertaining to watch, with some impressive virtuosity for individuals and pairs, ultimately left me feeling that the whole was rather less than the sum of the parts. Worthy of mention, however, is the 18 piece orchestra which superbly performed the rather quirky latin-infused score by Arturo Marquez.
©Tristram Kenton
The second performance Ghost Dances, is a classic from the Rambert repertoire. First performed in July 1981, it was choreographed by Christopher Bruce and inspired by Joan Jara’s book ‘An Unfinished Song’ about the brutal Pinochet regime in Chile, when thousands of civilians were tortured and murdered. The dance begins with three dancers, naked but for a loincloth, facemask, dreadlocks and greasepaint. Their dance is wild, primitive and thrilling, based on South American Indian ‘Day of the Dead’ rituals. The dancers are joined by eight people representing victims of Pinochet, who re-enact moments of happiness from their lives. But eventually it becomes clear from the broken, other-worldly quality of their movements that their lives are over and that they are the real ghost dancers. The music, arranged by Nicholas Mojiejenko was a delight of guitars, pan pipes and percussion.
Jane Hobson
The final piece, A Linha Curva, was choreographed in 2005 by Itzik Galili and again had a latin American influence, as it was created in Sao Paolo and inspired by the city’s atmosphere of sensuality and freedom. It involved an impressive cast of 23 dancers in a fast-moving tribute to Brazilian street culture, complete with capoeira-inspired routines and much testosterone-charged macho posturing. The music was highly percussive and provided a high energy feel throughout, perfectly matched by the clever lighting which at times had the performers dancing around street lights and at other times created a jigsaw grid pattern that dictated the flow of the dance.
If you get the opportunity to see the Rambert company on their latest UK tour, you should definitely jump at the chance. They are worth seeing again and again – and long may they remain a vital part of our UK dance scene.
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