STUDENT DANCE REVIEW: Enfants Terribles - The Waterside Theatre, Manchester - online

'Enfants Terribles' is a short (16 minute) dance-theatre piece which was performed live in October of 2021, by 22 young female dancers curently studying on the BA Dance And Performance Degree course at The Arden Theatre School in Manchester.

According to Johnny Autin, the director and choreographer of this piece, it "explores the themes of discrimination, the absense of respect and safety for women in public spaces and social responsibility." Quite a mantra to fit into such a short piece, and after watching the show on Youtube this afternoon, I must admit to not being able to glean all of that from the dancing.

The dancers start in almost total darkness - I am uncertain at this point whether or not the lighting was supposed to have been so dark or whether the camera was not allowing sufficient light in {I'm inclined to think it was a mix of both} - but the opening sequence was so dark that I couldn't make out very much other than a couple of the students were building a bridge with short canes. [a visual metaphor?]. These canes were to feature throughout the piece and were used imaginatively. My favourite image being a single long line of girls all holding their canes as if it were a single rope. The movement here combined with artistic lighting created some truly lovely effects. 

To say that this was a dance / ballet, would be stretching the meaning of those words a little too far though; perhaps this would be better classed as 'movement / physical theatre'.  I enjoyed watching the piece, although I was unsure what the moves actually represented in the designer's / director's eyes. I didn't even understand the reason behind the title, 'Enfants Terribles' - ie: people who behave in unconventional or controversial ways - since there was nothing either unconventional or controversial about the piece. 

Costuming was simple - all the dancers wore leggings and tops of varying designs and colours, but all simple, plain shades. Again, I didn't understand the idea behind the costumes sadly.

An ensemble group of committed and proficient students working together as one when required and as individuals and smaller groups too; the patterns and pictures created were interesting.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 23.4.22