National Dance Company Wales - Spring Programme 2015

National Dance Company Wales came to Leeds' Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre to present their mixed programme.  Three pieces, couldn't be any more different, are presented by the company's dancers.

Photo credit: National Dance Company Wales

(http://www.ndcwales.co.uk)

First piece, Walking Mad, by Johan Inger, is danced to the versatile Ravel's Bolero and the reflective Pärt's Für Aline.  The nine dancers explore with physical interpretation a range of emotions and creative usage of space reflecting the different circumstances of predicaments in relationships.

Inger ensures an emotional romantic combination of seriousness and teasing humour in Ravel's masterpiece which pictures individual life journeys of yearnings and being in the present.  The pregnant pause in the latter stage of the music makes one wonder the sudden unforeseen circumstances one encounter in their lives. Pärt's music is interpreted beautifully and with reflection by two dancers.

After the interval Lee Johnston's They Seem To Find the Happiness They Seem is performed by two dancers.  The piece is interpreted to a variety of music cleverly arranged by Max Richter.  It explore inner relationships, which are unknowingly carried out, within individuals and between couples.

Tuplet, choreographed by Alexander Ekman, is performed by six dancers.  The dancers have an opportunity to perform impulsively and spontaneously to sounds and visuals using their physicality to create rhythmically a story or message.  They use their bodies as percussion instruments.  Erkman considers this unique as every dancer is an individual who react subjectively to sounds, visuals and invitation to impulses.  It may not be to everyone's taste but it's a refreshing opportunity and an ambition creativity to create this unique piece where it's guaranteed to be changed whenever it's performed.

An ambitious bill by the company and performed by talented dancers and creative choreographers.