Dorrance Dance’s return to Sadlers Wells is a much anticipated event following on from their previous visit in 2017. This is the UK premiere of ‘Myelination and other works’ - three short pieces incorporating broader contemporary and hip-hop moments into a stunning tap-dance production.
'Jungle Blues' is a fun start to Dorrance’s tap trio - the dancers’ personalities shine through, and whilst they are a fantastic group, they are also clearly each unique; individuals dancing together. Charged with emotion, the dance starts slow, rhythmic and melodic as it follows the blues music accompaniment. There are moments of solo, duet and stunning ensemble performance, the group mesmerizing as they move freely around the stage.
'Three To One' is a stark contrast to the musicality of the start - Dorrance plays with the opposition of light and dark, barefoot-dancer and tap-dancer, and between the moods of the different dancers. With a focus on their feet; unable to resist the rhythm, the dancers movements are simultaneously complementary and contrasting. The dramatic stage exit from light into darkness, and sound into silence, sums up this piece perfectly.
'Myelination' takes its name from a bodily process in our nervous systems - in which myelin,a fatty substance, speeds the transmission of electrical impulses through our bodies. This work is as sensorial and energetic as the name suggests, with electrical moments as rhythmic pulses vibrate through the piece.
The live music on stage is a powerful opener to this, the lead dance of Dorrance’s trio of works. The dancers’ personalities continue to shine through - with multiple solo moments allowing them to be uniquely expressive. Matthew ‘Megawatt’ West can’t help but smile - and beyond star-struck by his dynamic, electric solo, the audience are enchanted, fully enrapt.
The dancers tease the audience between crescendos of claps, taps and drums, and slower, quieter moments still charged with energy and emotion. Using clapping peers to frame a solo artist, the opposing rhythms are captivating, and the solo moments particularly striking.
A pair of dancers without tap-shoes provokes the audience to notice that their whole bodies are dancing - not to limit our focus to their feet. The contemporary and hip-hop backgrounds of Dorrance’s dancers is fully exploited here - their dance is deeper than tap.
Contrasting rhythms, movements, and sounds, Dorrance’s choreography is as beautiful as her dancers’ expressions of it.
Reviewer - Sarah Lindley
on - 14/11/19
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