Naked - George Piper Dances |
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I have to confess that I am somewhat of a novice when it comes to dance. I have admired the work of Matthew Bourne (particularly his innovative production of Swan Lake) but have never managed to fully explore all forms of this art form. I approached this performance will an open mind and a desire to view it as a piece of theatre. On reading the programme, it was clear that 'Naked' was an attempt by the creative team to devise a new form of narrative dance. Audiences are used to the narrative techniques of traditional ballet, however this was an experiment in marrying up more modern dance forms with a narrative structure. I am not altogether certain that it succeeded. Certainly my companion and I could not agree on what the narrative of the evening had been. Maybe this ambiguity was deliberate, maybe it wasn't. The dancing, from my limited exposure to the form, was superb. There was great expressivity, enormous power and much grace and elegance. The six dancers acquitted themselves admirably and the audience reaction was overwhelmingly positive at the end of the performance. The most powerful sections for me featured William Trevitt - his solo section in the first half and his duets with Michael Nunn and Oxana Panchenko were riveting. Praise must also go to the other performers - Monica Zamora, Yvette Halfhide and Thomas Linecar - for creating such a tight ensemble. I have to pay particular credit to the technical aspects of the production - the use of lighting and video projection really enhanced the dance and created very specific atmospheres and moods. All in all an enjoyable (if a little short) evening which has opened my eyes to some of the possibilities of modern dance. Simon Tavener, 8th July 2005 |