La La Human Steps latest production ‘Amjad’, based on the themes of the classic romantic tales of Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, is absolutely absorbing from the moment the production begins until its uninterrupted conclusion an hour and forty-five minutes later.
Edouard Lock, the choreographer and founder of the Quebecois company based in Montreal, was inspired to create a piece which could influence the ‘dance-generated memories’ of all those familiar with these well-known ballets. It is an ambitious challenge to re-interpret a known quantity both musically and creatively, but Lock, with his team of innovative designers - Armand Vaillancourt, the set designer and John Munro on lighting - tap surreptitiously into our subconscious.
The beginning is beautiful. As a live string quartet - pianist, violinist, violist and cellist - play a haunting, melancholic tune at the back of the dark stage we are mesmerised by slow-changing white images relayed on three, huge, ball like screens. Our contemplation however is interrupted when two dancers bound onto the stage displaying disjointed, jerky athletic movements. This contrast between paces in the music and visual imagery is a constant theme throughout Amjad.
The dancing is thrilling at times, technically superb. And although at the beginning it appears as though the production is going to be exhaustingly frenetic, the show eventually does find its own pace and there are some exquisite tender moments. And the musicians are excellent. Playing with no scores - a feat in itself - they imbue passion in the British composer Gavin Bryars reinterpretation of Tchaikowsky’s familiar scores.
Dates
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh - 13 February, 7.30pm
Northampton Royal & Derngate - 16 February, 8pm