London: (in between)/Riot Offspring: June 8, 2013
Posted by: Carole Woddis on June 9, 2013 – 15.55pm

(in between)/Riot Offspring

Sadler’s Wells Theatre,
Rosebery Avenue
London EC1R 4TN

7.30pm

Runs: 1hr 15 mins with short pause.

TICKETS: 0844 412 4300; Monday to Saturday, 10am – 8pm.

online: www.tickets.sadlerswells.com

Review: by Carole Woddis of performance seen June 8, 2013:

Fabulous.
100 years since Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring burst onto an unsuspecting public with stormy results, a century later, Sadlers Wells, legendary home of dance, is celebrating with a programme of events including this one-off double bill involving more than 100 performers and the launch of the new National Youth Dance Company which will be based at Sadlers Wells.

There could hardly have been a more appropriate way to respond to Stravinsky and Rite’s centenary. The double bill was a triumph, an exhilarating, inspiring evening, not least because of the age range but also the polish and professional time and effort accorded to this `community-based’ work.

Companies often pay lip-service to `working with the community’, but there was nothing half hearted or scrimped about this double-bill, from the quality of the printed programme to the choreographers, lighting, musical direction and above all dancers.
If the first piece (in between), stunningly choreographed by Jasmin Vardimon, NYDC’s guest artistic director, emphasised the in-between stages of its young group
in a piece that evoked both Nature and human violence through flowing arms and up-tempo fast air ground movements, the punningly titled Riot Offspring practically enacted the seven ages of man encompassing performers still babes in arms, toddlers, teenagers, young adults and finally the Wells’ own Company of Elders.
Rite of Spring embodies fertility and sacrifice but equally a darker side of the pack mentality. Riot Offspring embraced both, clearly invoking menace and aggression of young groups today squaring up to each other in white face masks and boiler suits.

But it also employed the conjoining of age-groups with the Elders dancing duets with younger members of the Wells’ Emerging Artists company. Later there were moments of slip-sliding hip-hop and a toddler, poignantly helped along by its mother, unsteadily navigating and walking along a human caterpillar of young bodies. Finally a climax of encircling crowds, lit as if in flames.

Accompanied by another young group of fantastic talents, the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Gerry Cornelius, this was in every sense, an evening to savour.
(in between) can be seen twice more at the Wells and then goes on a short tour.

See details below.

(in between)

National Youth Dance Company

Choreographer: Jasmin Vardimon
Choreographer’s Assistants: JVC company members: David Lloyd, Júlia Robert Parés, Aoi Nakamura
Music: We Love you Michael Gira (Ben Frost); Schillar in China (Hilmar örn Hilmarsson & Sigur Rós; All the Love (Tindersticks); Saltwater (Last Days)
Lighting Designer: Adam Carree
Costume Designer: Abigail Hammond
Costume Supervisor: Danute Dainiene
Costume Assistant: Ugne Dainiene

Riot Offspring

Choreographers: Ivan Blackstock, Mafalda Deville, Pascal Merighi, Simeon Qsyea, Sébastien Ramirez
Music: The Rite of Spring (Le sacre du printemps)
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Orchestra: Southbank Sinfonia
Conductor: Gerry Cornelius
Lighting Designer: Adam Carree
Writer: Yemisi Blake
Costume Designer: Abigail Hammond
Costume Supervisor: Joanna Beart-Albrecht
Costume Assistant: Jessie McKenzie

Creative Producer: Jane Hackett
Assistant Producer: Molly Sanders

NYDC perform (in between)
June 28, 29: Sadlers Wells
June 30: JV Productions Space, Ashford
July 20: West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
July 21: The Lowry, Salford
July 27: Bristol as part of the British Harbour Festival

Companies involved:
National Youth Dance Company

Riot Company: (all based at Sadlers Wells)
Inspire!
Mimbre Youth Company
Company of Elders
Emerging Artists

NYDC Partners:
Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Lowry, Dance4, Dancecity, DanceEast, Jasmin Vardimon, Swindon Dance, Yorkshire Dance

For more info, see www.sadlerswells.com

2013-06-11 10:25:12