Amu

Published Friday 16 September 2005 at 16:00 by Gavin Roebuck

Amu (of the heart) is Random Dance’s most ambitious, emotive and provocative collaboration to date. The world premiere of this Sadler’s Wells-commissioned contemporary dance and music event featured 50 musicians, seven singers and only nine dancers.

Sir John Tavener created his first score for dance, played live by the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Paul Goodwin with Patricia Rozario (soprano), and Rufus Muller (tenor). For Tavener the heart is the centre of an inspiring musical dialogue of feeling, devotion and spirituality. To this, choreographer Wayne McGregor and his outstanding dancers, claim to question both the physical functions and symbolic resonance of the human heart.

Though this is done in collaboration with heart imaging specialists Dr Philip Kilner and Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, it was difficult to see any connection between the choreography and the biological, electrical and neurological aspects of the heart in terms of feeling, which the choreographer claims as his inspiration, but it is an appealing dance piece with group and solo sections of unpredictable dance.

Khamlane Halsackda moved with fluid upper body movements and Cecile Feza Bushidi, who joined the company this year, dances with a beautiful grace. Costumed in white by Shelley Fox with the superb lighting of Lucy Carter, this is a piece you want to see more than once and the powerful music has a mystical quality.