Sadler’s Sampled - A two week taster festival of dance

Review by Danielle C Morris. Photos by Ravi Deepres.

Note: The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of RetoxMagazine.com

Sadler's Sampled

Sadler's Sampled is a new fortnight festival of dance, offering a diverse assortment of styles from across the globe including ballet, tango, hip-hop and contemporary.

The festival was ignited with Made At Sadler's Wells, A triple bill of short masterpieces by three of the world's critically acclaimed choreographers with Russell Maliphant's: AfterLight (Part One), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's: Faun and Wayne McGregor's: UNDANCE.

With Faun and AfterLight (Part One) in particular, already hailed as a pièce de résistance I want to concentrate on the most recent work of the three choreographers, Wayne McGregor.

UNDANCE

UNDANCE is a collaboration between three spectacular artists - composer Mark-Anthony Turnage, choreographer Wayne McGregor and artist Mark Wallinger. UNDANCE is performed by the 10 dancers of Wayne McGregor | Random Dance and set to Turnage’s original score. Inspiration comes from American sculptor Richard Serra’s Compilation of Verbs and the work of photographer Eadweard J. Muybridge.


As the curtain slowly rises, you’re presented with Wallinger’s bare stage, albeit the covering of the wings with the large words UN and DANCE on either side printed on a life-sized black & white photograph of what seemed like compound wall.

With 10 linear arranged dancers upstage revealed in silence and silhouette, the anticipation was immense. Moments later a 3D projected backdrop mimicking the stance of the same dancers in the exact position starts seconds before the actual dancers on stage.

This opening felt like déjà vu, however the dynamic changed throughout the performance from screen-present to dancers-past and vice-versa, this offers you a chance to catch-up, as at times the performance felt like a frenetic dream.

The dancers are wonderful in their angular symmetry effortlessly moving into pliancy, this is aided by Moritz Junge's light and simple costume design of flesh tones to make the dancers appear nude. Lucy Carter's lighting is successful at creating optical illusions coupled with the moving 3D projection, which absorbs you, while Turnage’s score felt like a haunting juxtaposition of exuberance and confrontation.

McGregor's choreography was beautifully surreal, there was a moment where all the performers congregated center stage entwined with each other as if drowning, causing a rippling effect which seemed like there were more than 10 dancers on the stage.

UNDANCE premiered 1st December 2011, at Sadler's Wells with a live orchestra conducted by Tim Murray. Two years on, it has not lost momentum UNDANCE is a clever understatement lost from the moment the stage lights up.

Direction & Choreography: Wayne McGregor 

Music: Mark Anthony Turnage 

Costume Design: Moritz Junge 

Set Design: Mark Walliinger & The OpenEnded Group

Lighting Design: Lucy Carter