Rebirth gives dance of life its rhythm

Our team of critics have plenty to praise in top-notch classical musicianship, scintillating dance and harrowing drama

Billed as a contemporary dance duet, Samsara is so much more than that. Although in this instance, that would be enough – so utterly compelling are the two men performing it – but the stage is also alive with music, an art installation, and lighting design so beautiful, it’s almost a show in itself.

Choreographers and performers Aakash Odedra and Hu Shenyuan were inspired by the Chinese novel Journey To The West and “samsara”, meaning birth, death and rebirth. But those unfamiliar with either the book or the concept needn’t worry, this is a visually arresting spectacle that welcomes all-comers, not just those in the know.

Odedra and Hu each bring their own styles to the table, the former schooled in classical Indian dance, the latter trained in his native China, and both are well-versed in contemporary dance. Their movement blends like two bodies of water conjoining, yet with subtle differences between them, most obvious during a “call and response” section where they mimic each other’s steps.

Yet despite their obvious synergy, it’s when Odedra and Hu spiral off into solos that we really see what these superb performers are made of. Hu opens and closes the show, breaking out of a foetal position to symbolise birth at the start, standing tall at the end, rock solid on one foot, his leg high in the air. I defy anyone to take their eyes off him.

Spotlights expand and contract as the dancers occupy them, Hu’s wing-like arms swooping, Odera’s fast-paced feet driven by the pounding drums at the rear of the stage. In fact, every move the men make is propelled by the musical trio behind them, in particular the incredible Nicki Wells whose vocal prowess almost beggars belief. And throughout, sand pours from above onto childlike sculptures, catching the light in moments of ethereal beauty.