Last night at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham we were treated to modern dance and live music of the highest calibre.
We were given three distinct pieces, Dark Arteries, The 3 Dancers and Frames, all three productions captivating, clever and contemporary.
Dark Arteries
This dance was performed in front of a full brass band last night, it was the Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band; the piece they were playing was written by Gavin Hughes, its written with deep insight into industrial change, depicting the harsh realities of lost hardworking livelihoods and the human emotion which was simultaneously demonstrated in dance. My companion enjoyed the musical score and the brass so much he felt the dancers got in the way, distracted for him the main event. I enjoyed it but was too close to the stage to see the full dramatic effect.
The 3 Dancers was a dance inspired by a Picasso painting of the same name, for me it was much more pleasing than the original artwork. Three dancers were dressed in white, three in black , the lighting was simple but very effective, were the dancers mirroring each threesome, no as they came apart and then reconnected, it was a thought provoking piece just like its inspiration, I couldn’t take my eyes off the dance, it was both deceptively simple yet complex like the painting itself maybe?
Frames
How did the dancers remember where all the steel rods were to go? The choreography was complex, very clever and compelling, admiration for all those involved in this fascinating inventive production.
Rambert is performing for two more nights in Nottingham before it continues on tour.
Go see it’s a spectacle.
Tickets available online http://www.trch.co.uk/
Review by Anne Taylor
