A show of two halves; RAMBERT DANCE COMPANY THEATRE ROYAL, NEWCASTLE, UNTIL SATURDAY.Byline: GORDON BARR BARR Board on Agriculture and Renewable Resources (Washington, DC, USA)BARR Bureau of Aeronautics Resident Representative I HAVE always found that with dance productions you either get it or you don't. There is seldom a middle ground. Such was the case with this latest offering from Rambert which, from my perspective, was very much a show of two halves. There are four pieces in all - L'eveil, Scribblings, Swansong and Infinity. The first two just didn't do it for me at all. Created by dancer/choreographer Melanie Teall, L'eveil is described as an abstract work for six women. The piece also features Yolanda Grant-Thompson, who sings live the Kurt Weill classic, Je ne t'aime pas and Leslie Bricusse's Feeling Good. It says a lot that it was the singer who got the biggest cheer at the end! Scribblings followed and again, it did nothing for me and I found my mind wandering throughout. The same cannot be said of Christopher Bruce's Swansong - dealing with the themes of torture and interrogation interrogation In criminal law, process of formally and systematically questioning a suspect in order to elicit incriminating responses. The process is largely outside the governance of law, though in the U.S. . This remains a very poignant piece of dance and is a completely mesmerising work. Depicting two guards and the victim, it is at times a shocking display which drives through its message relentlessly. Thomasin Gulgec as the victim is superb and, even though you know the ending will not be a happy one, it strikes hard and stays with you for a long time after. Wonderful and thought-provoking. Last in the line-up is Infinity. This is visually beautiful and has its basis in the fundamental life processes, from birth onwards on·ward adj. Moving or tending forward. adv. also on·wards In a direction or toward a position that is ahead in space or time; forward. Adv. 1. . It has some stunning set pieces and the dancers show incredible athletic and acrobatic abilities. While not all of this Rambert four-piece performance did it for me, the 35 minutes of Swansong is worth the ticket price alone. GORDON BARR CAPTION(S): CAN BE MESMERISING - the Rambert Dance Company The Rambert Dance Company, formerly Ballet Rambert, is a contemporary dance company founded in 1926 by Dame Marie Rambert at the Mercury Theatre in London. Initially founded as a touring ballet company, it was relaunched during the mid-1960s as a contemporary dance company. |
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