|
Henri
Oguike Dance Company at
Oxford Playhouse October 11
|
Henri
Oguike Dance Company's latest tour brings the audience an impressive
programme. Four pieces -varying in temperament and character - bring
us modern dance and choreography of the highest quality. Throughout,
Guy Hoare's lighting fuses with the choreography, setting moods
and enhancing atmospheres and messages.
'Front
line', set to Shostakovich's 9th Quartet in E Flat, opens the evening.
The music is performed live on stage by the Pavao quartet and the
strength and energy coming from the dancers' bodies fill the venue.
The sound of the dancers drawing their breath and of their feet
hitting the floor is an integral part of the piece and adds yet
another dimension to the movements.
In
'Dido & Aeneas', Oguike draws on Roman mythology to tell a dramatic
story of hope and despair, love and death. Sarah Storer confidently
carries the drama forward with great poise.
Henri
Oguike performs the solo piece 'F.P.S. (Frames per Second)' with
electric presence.
The lighting and colours of the set merge with Oguike's moves in
this impressive piece.
The
programme ends with the flirtatious 'Finale', where we find the
dancers interacting with the audience in a way not seen in the other
pieces. Smiling widely, they travel back and forth across the stage
and irresistibly pull the audience in. The Latin-inspired music
- a compilation of work by Ren茅 Aubry - sets the tone and
the dancers pick it up and run with it. All seven members of the
company contribute to the playful seductiveness of this piece, with
Nuno Campos standing out as being especially charismatic.
Henri
Oguike Dance Company offers innovation, beauty and choreographic
marvel. Incredibly, two hours of their truly amazing work feel like
a brief moment.
Reviewed
by Jenny Enarsson
|
