Having briefly studied dance many moons ago, I was very much looking forward to an evening of original dance pieces by the next generation of choreographers and performers from the School of Arts and Media at Salford University. On arrival at the New Adelphi, you’d be forgiven for thinking that, whilst brand spanking new, it was simply yet another university building, but nestled inside is a fully equipped, 350 seat theatre facility, providing an incredible space for students and non-university companies to perform.
Prior to the show of contemporary dance, we were treated to several exhibitions and installations of work; Matilda Maginnis presented a visual installation of spectatorship in relation to theatre, sport and entertainment events while Emma Lane, Michael Lewis, Owen Darby & Patrick Thomas collaborated on a thought-provoking piece entitled “Turns” which explored the contrast between creatures with bodies that seem untethered and bodies bound by illness.
The first half of the main performance saw Hayley Walker perform two excerpts. "Left Unseen", choreographed by contemporary teacher Amaury Lebrun, exploring our instinctive reliance on the five senses, using short, sharp, sporadic movements to pose the question "how sensitive do we become when we lose one of our senses?” Walker learned this excerpt while on placement with the Pheonix Dance Theatre in Leeds. Her second performance was and excerpt from Josh Arnott’s PULSE! an adrenaline-fuelled dance and live music production which revolved around a 3.5m high percussion wheel. Hayley gave the audience a flavour of the athletic and acrobatic moves that take place in the piece where a drummer and dancer explore the interplay between movement and music.
A composition of three parts followed, danced by Lucy Jones and Julie Charalambidou. At times during “no/thing” the artistes used distinct lighting and thematics of film to convey 1) an analysis of improvisation, 2) a reconstruction of known movement and 3) a random generation of movement.
After a short interval Emma Hopley took to the stage to perform her own choreography, a piece called “An Uncomfortable Word”. Using music mixed with the words of Emma Watson at the UN in 2014, Hopley has created a powerful piece of contemporary dance that physicalises Watson’s speech on feminism and explores the continued fight for gender equality.
Independent Minds was the final work of the show, choreographed by Julie Charalambidou and danced by Lucy Jone, Matilda Maginnis and Hannah Woodcliffe. The thought-provoking creation, inspired by mental illness, saw the 3 dancers working as one then representing different stages of loneliness and fear, understanding, and support.
The evening’s performances may have been the final works of the Salford MA students, but they mark the beginning of what promises to be successful careers as dance professionals for the talented class of 2019.
Reviewer - Becs McNeill
on - 15/5/19
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