Cascading Streams Of Dancers In Rambert's Triptych

By Laura Dodge Last edited 112 months ago
Cascading Streams Of Dancers In Rambert's Triptych ★★★☆☆ 3

Adam Blyde and Lucy Balfour in The Strange Charm of Mother Nature. Photo: Hugo Glendinning

Londonist Rating: ★★★☆☆

Rambert’s Triptych triple bill at Sadler’s Wells is a great showcase for the company’s supremely talented dancers. Unfortunately lacking, however, is the consistently high-quality choreography that the dancers deserve.

Ashley Page’s Subterrain opens the evening. On a dark and smoky stage with a large piece of wooden panelling overhead, dancers perform a fairly generic and uninspired contemporary vocabulary. It’s Hannah Rudd and Dane Hurst who steal focus with their effortless cat-like fluidity.

The Strange Charm of Mother Nature, a new creation by Rambert director Mark Baldwin, explores the property of quarks — tiny elementary particles which are being closely studied by physicists. The effect onstage is of a cascading stream of dancers leaping, spinning and high-kicking across the space. There’s plenty of energy and vibrancy on display but the choreography is too repetitive to hold engagement.

Completing the bill is the world premiere of Shobana Jeyasingh’s Terra Incognita. Inspired by images of journeys and travel, an array of different emotions and motifs emerge through the work, building to a frantic conclusion. Terra Incognita is too long, but there are beautiful moments. A male-female duet where the male’s movements are echoed by three other dancers stands out in particular.

It’s wonderful to see Rambert on top form, but disappointing that Triptych doesn’t feature more innovative choreography.

Triptych is at Sadler's Wells until Saturday 22 November. Tickets priced £8-38 are available from the Sadler's Wells website. Londonist received a complimentary ticket to review the show.

Last Updated 21 November 2014