|
Wow! Contemporary dance isn’t an adequate label to apply to the work of the Phoenix Dance Theatre. On 26 April at York’s Theatre Royal I witnessed a spectacle of emotion and energy, of aggression and humour, pathos and violence. Under the artistic direction of Javier de Frutos, Phoenix presented four pieces that evening as part of their current tour. They opened with ‘Signal’, choreographed by Henri Oguike. The pounding percussion of Japanese Taiko drums filled the auditorium as dancers in simple yet striking red and black costume performed solos, duets and quartets with poise, grace and speed - their moves not following the rhythm as much as seeming somehow to direct the sound itself. A line of fire bowls across the back of the stage was lit by one dancer, their flames giving a wild, dangerous quality to the dance floor. The random light dramatically silhouetted the performers as they pitted themselves against the drumbeat. This was followed by ‘Harmonica Breakdown’, created in 1930’s USA by Jane Dudley in response to the Depression in which so many families were forced to travel huge distances to find work - a kind of ‘Grapes of Wrath’ in dance. This solo piece was breathtakingly and sensitively performed by Kailea-Nadine Williams, who had only just come off stage from the first set - now she filled the stage on her own. Nearly 70 years on this work remains a masterpiece. Harmonica music, black American ‘cakewalk’ dance, shuffling and locomotive motion was used to represent in dance the struggle of the individual against poverty, discrimination and the crushing effects of the Depression. After an interval the mood was lightened with ‘Pequenas Alegrias’ (Little Happinesses), a new work by Henrique Rodovalho of Brazil. Brazilian Samba was fused with electronica to create a vibrant soundstage which complemented the vivid lighting to provide an ideal environment for the light, nimble dance representing those little happinesses. An unusual addition to the stage was a technician in black aiming a light projector providing beams for the dancers to work with as if they were children playing in a hose-pipe spray on a hot summer’s day. A second interval gave me a chance to slake my thirst, brought about by the heat in the auditorium and the fact that I had been sitting open-mouthed at the performances. | "Our eyes were confronted with bloodied male dancers struggling, strutting, fighting and sweating in a sometimes homo-erotic scene of violence" | |
In the final piece, ‘Picadores’, the stage, nay, entire theatre, resounded to Stravinsky’s Les Noces: powerful voice, piano and percussion assaulted our ears whilst our eyes were confronted with bloodied male dancers struggling, strutting, fighting and sweating in a sometimes homo-erotic scene of violence. Into this came two similarly bloodied females who joined in the field of conflict with the men and with each other. On and on: fists, feet, blows and kicks breathtaking, shocking, unrelenting and fascinating. Not for nothing does the piece have a fight director, Terry King. The end came, inevitably with a death, shocking though not surprising, and in a moving scene the limp lifeless body of a woman is carried towards the audience and the closing curtain. This new work by Javier de Frutos is not for the faint-hearted but is a totally compelling example of what dance can be, challenging the view of what dance is. Jamie Searle | 
