Balletboyz: Fourteen Days
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
THE blood, sweat and tears that go into making a piece of dance are usually lost on
an audience, and rightly so – it’s the polish people pay for – but the title of the Balletboyz’s latest tour allows us to edge closer to the creative process.
Artistic directors Michael Nunn and William Trevitt paired four choreographers with four composers, and gave them just 14 days to create a new work. They all had the same brief – make something about the concept of balance andimbalance–buttheresults couldn’t be more varied.
Javier De Frutos takes the most literal approach, with a complex series of moves played out on a giant see-saw. Although the least crowdpleasing of the quartet (due
largely to Scott Walker’s curious but migraine-inducing score), it shows the strength and precision of these ten remarkable male dancers.
Iván Pérez turns the men into show horses for Human Animal, as they trot around the stage with seeming simplicity to Joby Talbot’s jaunty and likeable score. But again, the choreography is intricate and looks exhausting.
Known more for his musical theatre work, Craig Revel Horwood’s The Indicator Line, dramatically soundtracked by Charlotte Harding, is suitably showbiz with a touch of grit.
But it is Christopher Wheeldon’s stunning duet, Us, which speaks to our hearts. Danc- ers Jordan Robson and Brad Waller are the living embodiment of Keaton Henson’s beautiful and absorbing score. Their bodies intertwine, sending stories and metaphors popping in our heads, compelling us to be part of their journey.
KELLY APTER