Carlos Acosta’s ‘Cuban Baroque’ (Sadler’s Wells) is built on a delicious contradiction: the ornate restraint of the Baroque meeting the passion,freedom and physical daring of contemporary Cuban dance. Rather than treating those traditions as opposites, Acosta Danza finds the space where they can collide – and, occasionally, become indistinguishable.
The first half, Andonis Foniadakis’s ‘Pearls‘, is the more exuberant of the two works. Beginning with an almost ceremonial quality, the choreography gradually breaks free from classical form. Balletic lines give way to Cuban rhythms, floor work, sudden drops, expansive jumps and gestures that seem to come from several dance vocabularies at once. The effect is exhilarating without becoming merely decorative. The dancers have to switch constantly between control and abandon, and their technical confidence makes even the most extreme transitions look natural. The visual design, with shifting lines of light and rich costumes, adds another layer of ornament without overwhelming the performers.
If ‘Pearls’ feels like a Baroque painting suddenly set in motion, Goyo Montero’s ‘Chacona‘ is its more austere counterpart. Set to Bach’s ‘Chaperone‘, it strips away much of the exuberance and concentrates on the relationship between bodies, space and music. The sixteen dancers move with striking precision, creating patterns that repeatedly fracture and reform. Here, repetition becomes hypnotic rather than restrictive, while the live musical presence gives the choreography an unusual intimacy.
What makes the evening successful is the way these contrasting works illuminate each other. ‘Pearls’ celebrates fusion; ‘Chacona‘ discovers power through discipline. Yet both reveal the extraordinary versatility of Acosta Danza’s dancers, whose classical training never suppresses their individuality or Cuban identity. ‘Cuban Baroque’ ultimately provesless interested in preserving the past than in making it dance again. It is an energetic, visually intelligentand impressively performed celebration of what happens when artistic traditions refuse to stay in their allocated boxes.
Cuban Baroque Acosta Danza – www.sadlerswells.com
Sotira Kyriakides
Photo credit: Johan Persson