Richard Alston Dance Company
its relentless pace grips and holds right until the very final spin.
In last night's programme of modern dance at Norwich's Theatre Royal we were swept along on a rhythmic roller-coaster of a ride that ran from Contemporary to Baroque and back, before terminating in the world of the Romantic.
Sir Richard Alston's company of nine dancers, together with pianist Jason Ridgway, put on a show that showcased in breathtaking style the work of the recently-knighted choreographer. In a career that included a 25 year association with the Ballet Rambert, as well as a quarter century at the helm of his own company, Sir Richard became only the second modern choreographer to be granted a knighthood, and received the honour earlier this week from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.
And it was Sir Richard who appeared from behind the curtain at the beginning of the evening, introducing the dancers from Dance East's Centre for Advanced Training who opened the evening with Crisp Rhythm, a lively piece set to music by John Cage and choreographed by Alston. A wonderful appetiser, as well as an indicator of the quality of young talent emerging through this region.
Performing their first piece to the percussive rhythms of the marimba, and of Michael Gordon's Timber, Alston's dancers move in and out of spaces and time whilst fractured lighting is scattered, bamboo-like, across the stage. It is an exploratory piece, choreographed by Martin Lawrence, and its relentless pace grips and holds right until the very final spin.
After the first of two intervals, Quartermark provides us with excerpts of four dances created by Alston over the last 25 years – two solo pieces (the first danced to a madrigal by Monteverdi, the second to an excerpt from Ravel's Miroirs); a duet from last season's Bach Dances; and a section from 2000's Signal of A Shake (with music from Handel). It is fascinating to observe how Alston's fluid and twisting choreography can fit so comfortably around a Baroque score. There is no jarring sense of corruption or impropriety, just a sense of freshness and honesty.
Proverb is inspired by, and performed to, the minimalist vocal composition by Steve Reich which opens with the recurring line, 'How small a thought it takes to fill a whole life'. It is a graceful piece, danced with an almost architectural reverence – bodies are extended and shaped as if being aligned and primed to fit together as part of a grander structure. This was a piece conceived to celebrate Reich's 70thbirthday – it now seems appropriate to be enjoying it in Alston's presence, in his 70thbirthday year.
And, as if to send the audience away happy, with a set of tunes designed to ear-worm their way through to the cerebral cortex, Brahms Hungarian with its lively Gypsy influences and folk-infused rhythms provides the playful and energetic finale to tonight's show. Unlike the previous pieces, this is danced to a live piano accompaniment from Jason Ridgway and, as the dance progresses, the lighting shifts from a palette of blues and greens to an earthy golden brown, as if the sun is setting and the party is set to begin. Wonderfully fluid movement, enhanced by flowing floral costumes, this is certainly a stirring manner in which to finish, though the entire evening has been a gourmet tray of delights.
With the sad news that Sir Richard intends to disband the RADC after a farewell tour next year, let us hope that the company will return to treat us to a swansong appearance at the Theatre Royal in 2020.
