Peoples Republic of South Devon

Dance review (Phoenix Dance)

May 25th, 2008

Today is a day of dance on the PRSD and we can catch up on some of the dance coverage provided by the Young Dance Reviewers, an opportunity made available by a collaboration between Dance in Devon and Exeter Northcott

Here are two takes on Phoenix Dance performance. Read the reviews of Kate Clarkson and Lucie Tullet

– Phoenix Dance Theatre, at the Exeter Northcott, 17/05/08
by Kate Clarkson

Javier De Frutos’ contemporary dance company Phoenix Dance Theatre were at the Northcott as part of this month’s dance festival. The dancers tantalized audiences with a spectacular trilogy of pieces taken from the company’s 2008 repertoire.De Frutos’ company pride themselves with their theatricality and this was evident from the opening of the first piece. Entitled The Moor’s Pavane, this choreography by José Limón had echoes of Shakepeare’s Othello, which grounded the work’s dramatic quality. Baroque music and lavish Renaissance costumes gave deportment and elegance to the dancers, but the female’s beautiful dresses sometimes hampered the effect of classical arabesque lines.

The dancers in the second piece were smothered in blood. The use of clinical, white flooring gave a raw edge to this performance as the blood splattered all over it once the dancers moved. Two female dancers stepped on stage midway through the piece to join the male dancers and this gave a suggestion of domestic violence and an uncomfortable atmosphere surrounded the audience. The extraordinary athleticism of the dancers gave an energetic display to this piece entitled Los Picadores.

The evening’s entertainment cumulated in a carnivalesque, circus-like performance choreographed by De Frutos himself entitled Nopalitos, which had a passionate and sensual touch. The use of costume, set and music combined to form a highly extravagant theatrical piece. The complex choreography of curtain changes contrasted the stark setting of the previous dances. The Mexican music by Lily Downs was beautiful, but its volume became over bearing and at times suffocated the focus of the dancers. Ornate Masks and scarves concealed the dancer’s faces throughout the performance but this left the audience questioning De Frutos’ motive for this.

– Phoenix Dance Theatre, at the Exeter Northcott, 16/05/08
by Lucie Tullet

The Exeter Northcott Dance Festival continued with Phoenix Dance Theatre taking to the stage. The Leeds-based company have a new artistic director, Javier De Frutos and are internationally reputed for performing inspiring and groundbreaking contemporary dance. The dancers are extremely highly trained, and are handpicked from all over the world.The mixed triple bill of the evening provided a diverse range of works from the company’s repertoire, past and present. De Frutos brings a passionate theatricality that is evocative and sensual. His two pieces of the evening, Los Picadores and Nopalitos, were both such contrasting experiences for the spectator. Los Picadores was “…a fight in the wide meaning of the word – how much to give and take, how much to love and hate; producing spontaneous reactions bringing excitement, pain and pleasure.” (Ana Lujan Sanchez, rehearsal director and dancer, Phoenix Dance Theatre programme 2008). Complete with fake blood and torn costumes the piece is cleverly executed, with realistic ‘fighting’ and heart-stopping contact work. The accompaniment, which inspired the piece, was Les Noces by Stravinsky, and made me feel as though I was being subjected to violence as it was so loud in a fairly intimate theatre setting.

On the other hand, Les Nopalitos’gave us a surreal insight into Mexican culture, portrayed as a tableaux of masked dancers in a wide array of miss-matched costumes. Having seen the piece for a second time, as the company toured with the piece in 2006, it somehow seemed even more surreal and awe-inspiring than the first time around.

The third piece which strongly contrasted to these was The Moor’s Pavane, a restaging of one of José Limón’s best known works. One of the most prominent American choreographers in modern dance, his powerful choreography focused on human drama.
The evening provided a range of works with broad appeal – another success in the Exeter Northcott’s Dance Festival season.
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The Young Dance Reviewer opportunity is made possible by a unique collaboration between Dance in Devon and Exeter Northcott. Contact Katherine@danceindevon.org.uk for further details.

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Entry Filed under: Arts