"It was completely captivating!" Claire-Marie McBride

Satori Photo credit Enrique Soldevilla and Estudio 50
 

With ballet and ballroom you have structure and technique, precision and performance

Whereas with “Acosta Danza - Cuban Eclectico” you add flow, passion, sensuality and the joy of living life on the off-beat.

The language of dance is something I may not fully understand, however I am trying to detach myself from the initial reaction based on the dancers’ amazing body strength and ability, and travel beyond the physical and comprehending the emotions and feelings that the performers are so beautifully conveying.

With that in mind, our guest reviewer is Claire-Marie McBride, who uses mindful movement to help people connect with their inner-self, and was able to bring her unique perspective and intuition to help me appreciate this art. 

All of this was ideal for the opening piece - Satori by the Cuban choreographer Raúl Reinoso, which, according to the show notes, merges contemporary dance with classical ballet lines, and illustrates an inward journey to spiritual enlightenment, to the discovery of truth, beauty and light.

The use of deep, electric blue drapes, used as a cloud, or a wave, or as clothing, alongside the  overhead and backprojected lighting which enhanced every muscle, line and shape that the dancers possess, created a captivating piece that had us both enthralled, as Claire-Marie said: 

“The opening for me was the one that I was most captivated by. The way that the lead dancer brought up the robe and the way that she collapsed and sunk into it, with the low lit lights highlighting the human anatomy, to have literally bare skin so you can see every rib bone, it was really quite beautiful to watch the human body move in that way. Added with the synchronicity, the timings, the different levels, it was completely captivating.”

There was one scene where dancers behind the blue drapes, picked up a dancer in front of the “cloud or wave”, allowing her to float and move in a sea of material. Simple, inventive and spectacular. 

The deep blue mystery of Storio was in stark contrast to the warm and nurturing ‘Paysage, Soudain, la nuit’ from the celebrated Swedish choreographer Pontus Lidberg. 

Paysage, soudain, la nuit Photo credit Yuris Noürido

Lidberg shows the celebration of youth between dusk and dawn on a rumba-inspired score by Leo Brouwer. Seventeen minutes of pure, infectious energy and Latin footwork set to frenzied, traditional music.

Set between banks of flowing corn, or maybe water reeds, surrounded by the sounds of naturally plucked instruments, this dance took you on a completely different journey, collaborative and suggestive, and certainly sensuousity, in fact there was a short duo between two male dancers that that was remarkably personal, and I “got it”, the intimacy, the depth, this was two people as one. 

“I think the strength for me was remarkable,” Claire-Marie told us. “Seeing the strength in them, but yet seeing them being so comfortable in their feminine energy as well. You know, a lot of the movements were not staccato. They were very flowy and very feminine, and I think that was really empowering to see that balance between the masculine and the feminine.”

It summed up the whole dance in which the cast passed their feelings to each other. 

Paysage Photo credit Johan Persson

“ And it was also clever in the almost that picking of the friends when there was two people on stage and then all of a sudden they were doing this repetition of swaying back and forth on the floor, and then a third would appear.” continued Claire-Marie, “and it was like they were mirroring the reeds. I just thought that was just so clever that the humans were the nature, nature was moving with the humans.

 It was beautiful just watching that energy exchange and the counterbalancing of where they were, I am in awe.”

Spanish choreographer Maria Rovira created Impronta for Acosta Danza, the piece brings together modern and contemporary dance in an evocation of folk dances of Afro-Cuban heritage.

Impronta Photo credit Johan Persson

“The solo dance of the lady in the royal blue, backless dress, was incredibly powerful. The way that it started in that sphere of light,” said Claire-Marie. “There was something quite melodic about her movements, like she was drifting through a current of some sort and with the crescendo of the music, I’d say that was probably for me, the most powerful piece.”

The end of the performance had the cast gathered by the shore, or maybe a dock, performing contemporary dance as a group and individuals, there was a very clever video backdrop that added to their portrayal of Cuba as a source and scene of rhythm and sensuality. It was almost like West Side Story, but without the gang warfare.

De Punta a Cabo Photo credit Hugo Glendinning

However, one piece that stood out for us as an excellent example of how nature and humanity are part of the same flow, not separate entities, and that was Faun.

According to the show notes: “The Flemish-Moroccan Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is one of the most sought-after contemporary choreographers in the world. He is known for his imaginative productions that shed new light on cultures and genres of movement. In his interpretation of Faun he gives shape to the confrontation between the human and animal aspects. This duet shows the duality of masculine and feminine energies, discovering and taunting each other.”

FAUN Photo by Toti Ferrer

With just one background the lighting team were able to depict all four seasons in a forest, whilst on the stage the duo enacted the seasons of courtship with occasional twists and role reversals when it came to acquiescence and authority. 

“I buzz off trees and the forest and it was just so beautiful,” said Claire-Marie, “I felt like I was there with them in that forest, in their own little love story. The way that they portrayed the development of that journey was really soulful and tasteful, and it just felt very pure to witness and almost be pulled into.”

With a cast of amazing dancers, skilled, tone and light of foot, stage with elegance, simplicity, and in an aural cloud of inventiveness, this show really is a treat. As Claire-Marie concludes:

“ It was captivating. I am in awe of the human body. The mastery of these performers cannot be underestimated, and it's definitely something that needs to be seen and felt, to just appreciate the skill."

About Claire-Marie McBride, The Mindful Movement Coach: Claire-Marie’s approach to wellness aims to inspire and ignite the connection to your inner self, whilst enjoying a mindful moment that allows you to press pause, relax and recharge.

Discover more here The Mindful Movement Coach
and Mayflower Theatre

Running Order

Satori – Paul Reinoso – 25 minutes

Faun – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui – 15 minutes

Interval – 20 minutes

Paysage – Pontus Lidberg – 17 minutes

Impronta – Maria Rovira – 7 minutes

De Punta a Cabo – Alexis Fernandez – 18 minutes