Rambert’s World View Tour

Published Thursday 27 September 2007 at 14:50 by Natalie Anglesey

The work of international choreographers is showcased at the start of Rambert’s autumn season.

The majority of pieces bore a striking similarity in pace and content in that they were a celebration of the human form, but appeared devoid of humanity.

Melanie Teall’s L’Eveil, a varied piece displaying the female form, is performed to a sonorous striking gong, the prelude to compositions by Weill and Bricusse, beautifully performed by the London Musici.

Darshan Singh Bhuller’s sombre piece, Stand and Stare, is reprised with minuscule changes and is danced to Bartok. A gloomy, disjointed piece which failed to engage the chattering schoolchildren in the audience.

While, either by accident or design, American Karole Armitage’s Gran Partita - danced to Mozart - with its transition from classical ballet to contemporary movement, is almost a reflection of Rambert’s history. But the saving grace of the evening is the exciting world premiere of Infinity, by Australian choreographer Garry Stewart. Performed to music by Luke Smiles, it’s a superb piece of dramatic theatre performed on a black stage by dancers in white.

After a lacklustre opening to the evening, suddenly the dancers were injected with life and superbly performed a mixture of yoga and acrobatic movements which, although mainly ground-based, were never boring. In fact, it was as spectacular as the falling showers of red petals, signifying the life force this dance explored.

This is exactly the kind of stimulating work which Rambert needs to enthuse both its dancers and its audience.