Rambert - New Choreography 2014

[johnross]

Rambert held their showcase featuring new choreography at The Place, here are some pictures from the rehearsal. On until tonight Wednesday 17th December.

 

 

Dane Hurst in Dane Hurst's O'dabo

 

 

Carolyn Bolton and Adam Blythe in Luke Ahmet's Unspoken Dialect

 

 

The company in Patricia Okenwa's No.1 Convergence

 

More pictures on www.johnrossballetgallery.co.uk

[zxDaveM]

I was also at the New Choreography rehearsal yesterday, and here are a few pics from me:


Related by Pierre Tapon (Liam Francis, Antonia Hewitt, Stephen Wright)
© Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr


O'dabo (Dane Hurst in his own piece)
© Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr


No 1 Convergence by Patricia Okenwa
© Dave Morgan. Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

See more...
Set from DanceTabs: Rambert - new choreography
Courtesy of DanceTabs / Flickr

[Bruce Wall]

I was privileged to attend Rambert's 'New Choreography' Programme on 16.12.14 in the inspiring space that is THE PLACE. (I believe - vis a vis the title of this particular BcoF page - that the 'Choreographics' nomenclature belongs to the esteemed ENB programme such as is overseen by the much admired George Williamson.  A Moderator may wish to change this titular nomination in order to avoid any confusion.  The Rambert [free] programme clearly identified this outing as 'New Choreography' - created and performed by Rambert dancers.)  

 

I found much of this particular Rambert effort to be woven from 'New Emperor's' cloth - such as has been persuasive in much of the Company's original work over the past three years IMHO.  As a showcase much of the choreography on display was suffused with wafting generalities that seemed to travel in no specific line either in terms of (i) the music/text employed or (ii) the overall clarity of a vision - of any vision - through dance.  

 

This was made particularly telling by the example of Dane Hurst's O'DABO (which translated from Yoruba means 'until I return' or 'goodbye').  Why?  Well, this was the exception that broke the otherwise - and oft ponderous - rule that marked the evening overall.  Although the piece mentioned employed only one dancer - the sinuous Mr. Hurst himself - it was ram packed with more character than any of the other more populous pieces of earlier on.  (Wisely the order of the works were changed on the night from that in the programme in order to allow Mr. Hurst's O'dabo to finish as a beacon of hope for us all to end with.)  

 

Paul Gladstone Reid's score was certainly the most dramatically vivid of the evening.  With it Mr. Hurst literally drew a line from without his own native South African sand and, through doing so, affirmed both his own and the world's admiration for the iconic Nelson Mandela.  This piece was very much inspired by Mandela's December journey on Dingane's Day - one defining December 16th - such as incarcerated through his visionary blood, sweat and tears.   Whether pounding a drum beat of smoking chalk from off his contracted pectorals - as initially he did thrice - or dragging his frame through gyrations of flourishing curlicues,  undulating arcs and fixating deflections - each constructed in and around an established and vitally clear choreographic vocabulary - Hurst took us with him on every element of his own 'Long Walk to Freedom'.  By O'dabo's dramatic climax, when Hurst finally finally broke through to a profligate run of abandonment - we too could share his amazement and joy because the specific nature of his dance making had made us an interactive part of this specific realm.  We too had breathed within Mandela's passionate joy through Hurst.  It stung viscerally.  Certainly we were not at a remove as in so many of the earlier works.  That inclusive aspect defined Hurst's outing; making it completely outstanding from the rest.  

 

I did stay to hear the choreographers speak but when the promised five minute break lapsed into twenty I fear I joined with many others and departed into the night.   

Edited December 18, 2014 by Bruce Wall

[Bruce Wall]

I fear I tried to write a review within the 1/2 hour window of BcoF's stated policy.  I should of course know better. There was a whole gob of it left unfinished.  I am now committing myself to NOT write ANY message of more than three lines (i.e., the limit legally allowed  to quote from an outside publication on this much admired Forum) without first typing and initially reviewing such in WORD.  I do this only because of my disability.  I am - as you no doubt know - a more than middling (and indeed card carrying) dyslexic.  I would be most grateful if a moderator - for this time only - might please remove my earlier posting (i.e., No. 3 above) in favour of this.  I would ask that this message might stay on top of this item lest it be of ANY assistance to anyone else who may be afflicted as I have been for the vast majority of my life (well, as long as I can remember.)  With respectful thanks.

 

I was privileged to attend Rambert's 'New Choreography' Programme on 16.12.14 in the inspiring space that is THE PLACE. (I believe - vis a vis the title of this particular BcoF page - that the 'Choreographics' nomenclature belongs to the esteemed ENB programme such as is overseen by the much admired George Williamson.  A Moderator may wish to change this titular nomination in order to avoid any confusion.  The Rambert [free] programme clearly identified this outing as 'New Choreography' - created and performed by Rambert dancers.)  

 

I found much of this particular Rambert effort to be woven from 'New Emperor's' cloth - such as has been persuasive in much of the Company's original work over the past three years IMHO.  In this showcase much of the choreography on display was suffused with wafting generalities that seemed to travel in no specific line either in terms of (i) the music/text employed or (ii) the overall clarity of a vision - of any vision - through dance.  

 

This was made particularly telling by the example of Dane Hurst's O'DABO (which translated from Yoruba means 'until I return' or 'goodbye').  Why?  Well, this was the exception that broke the otherwise - and oft ponderous - rule that sadly marked much of the evening.  Although the piece mentioned employed only one dancer - the sinuous Mr. Hurst himself - it was ram packed with more character than any of the other more populous pieces.  (Wisely the order of the programme was changed on the night from that laid out in the programme in order to allow Mr. Hurst's O'dabo to finish as a beacon of hope.)  

 

Paul Gladstone Reid's score was certainly the most dramatically vivid of the evening.  With it Mr. Hurst literally drew a line from without his own native South African sand and, through doing so, affirmed both his own and the world's admiration for the iconic Nelson Mandela.  This piece was very much inspired by Mandela's December journey on Dingane's Day - one defining December 16th - such as had been incarcerated in his own visionary blood, sweat and tears.   Whether pounding a drum beat of smoking chalk from off his contracted pectorals - as initially he did thrice - or dragging his frame through gyrations of flourishing curlicues,  undulating arcs and fixating deflections - each constructed in/around an established and vitally clear choreographic vocabulary – Dane Hurst took us with him through every element of his own 'Long Walk to Freedom'.  By O'dabo's dramatic climax, when Hurst broke through to a profligate run of abandonment - we too shared his amazement and joy in such because the thrill of his dance making had been generously  interactive.  We too had breathed Hurst’s passionate joy in his choreographic conversation with Mandela.  Viscerally it had stung.  At no point here were we at a remove such as had been the case in so many of the earlier works.  That inclusion defined Hurst's outing,  making it completely outstanding from the rest.  

 

I did stay to hear the choreographers speak but when the promised five minute break lapsed into twenty I fear I joined with many others and departed into the night.   

Edited December 18, 2014 by Bruce Wall