Men And Girls Dance Is A Moving Celebration Of Normal Relationships

Men & Girls Dance, The Place ★★★★☆

Hari Mountford
By Hari Mountford Last edited 59 months ago

Looks like this article is a bit old. Be aware that information may have changed since it was published.

Men And Girls Dance Is A Moving Celebration Of Normal Relationships Men & Girls Dance, The Place 4
Photo: David Thibel

Four years after their initial debut of Men & Girls Dance, dance company Fevered Sleep are back at The Place with a contemporary performance that does exactly what it says on the tin. Yes, this is men and girls dancing — but with plenty off added nuance. In this 60 minute production, six professional male dancers and a bunch of young girls dancing for fun are united through movement and music in a way that turns our paranoia about child abuse and paedophilia on its head.

In a world where 'men and girls' in the same sentence causes unease, Fevered Sleep show that this often-demonised relationship is — most of the time — a perfectly normal and admittedly heart-warming friendship.

Reminiscent of a playground scene, the interactions between the trained, muscular men and the petite, giggly (and extremely cute) children are nothing but joyful. The clear size difference is not the only thing that sets the men apart: their fluid and lyrical movements are juxtaposed with the jumpy and energetic nature of the girls. Light as feathers, the latter get to be lifted and thrown around a fair bit, which they seem to thoroughly enjoy — in fact, it looks like they are all having a ball throughout the show. At times, this is a funny piece and at others, an emotional display of utter innocence, reminiscent of a father/daughter bond.

Although the two tribes begin separated, over the course of an hour, the men and girls are completely intermingled. Men & Girls Dance renews confidence in the fact that these two groups can work incredibly well together, without the media's paranoia, and in a thoroughly moving way.

Men & Girls Dance, The Place, 17 Duke's Road, WC1H 9PY UK. Tickets from £13. Until 30 April.

Last Updated 26 April 2019