Arcola's Studio K is no longer radioactive but has been transformed to host the Adventures in Movement season, part of Create09 at Arcola. It's like The Place's resolution has been transplanted to Dalston, a series of contemporary dance mixed bills, largely unknown quantities, running until 2 August.
We caught IJAD Dance Company's triple bill. The opening piece, Wanna Play? opened intriguingly with three dancers apparently emerging from the primaeval swamp where their arms are convincingly turned to frogs legs. Throughout, the performers look slightly crazy. There are relevant ideas at work but it doesn't quite hang together over the duration although the choreography tumbles and turns gaily across the space with a pleasing engagement between the performers.
Being cynical, we'd advise you to turn up in time for piece two; Jourmana Mourad's fascinating, theatrical solo which sees her emerging chrysalis like from a strung up sack, an inflated balloon representing the secrets inside all of us. Her exposed back and arms are incredible and the intricate, isolated movement seems bizarrely to be choreographed in time to the act of playing the violin, rather than the string music itself. IJAD's unique movement vocabulary is based in Raks Sharqui (Arabic Dance) and no one in the company does it better than Mourad. The helium balloons are pretty and it's a shame no-one took advantage of the offer to tie a personal secret.
The closing 2B3D has a large dose of childhood fantasy at its heart with bubbles and a whiff of transformed fairytale. Ultimately thought the ideologies behind the work get lost in the rampage of colourful costumes and wheeling, acrobatic, breathless movement.
Adventures in Movement, Create09 is in Arcola, Studio K until 2 August. All tickets £10 - special ticket bundle offer, save £10. IJAD perform again on the closing night, 2 August.
