This contemporary double bill is simple but effective. Upon entering the venue you are greeted by a young male dancer, Jack Webb, for the performance of Beta Wave Transport. Webb leads us on a journey of exploration through the mind’s relationship with the body. He approaches his movements with child-like curiosity and I felt like I was watching the birth of Frankenstein as he discovered new ways of moving and repeated these just like a little boy. The playful nature of his dancing can best be exemplified in the fluid relationship between his control and freedom of movement, creating space for an organic shift from one placement to another. This physical naivety extends into his interaction with such seemingly commonplace props as a green mat, a tiny wooden chair and a large plastic bag. I particularly enjoyed the development of his body-awareness; of special note is when he places the plastic bag on his back like a cape and slowly masters the famous Superman pose we are all familiar with.In stark contrast to the relative innocence of Webb’s piece, Bagofti is a dark, brooding physical conversation with Francis Bacon’s visual art. Gavin Coward’s virtuosic performance, of Gary Clarke’s choreography, delves into our understanding of the fine line between the beautiful and the grotesque. His stockinged face strikes an often disturbing chord, particularly when presented with the beautiful fluidity of his dance. The relationship between the ‘ugly’ and the ‘pretty’ is one which the piece begins to explore and one which I had hoped it was going to develop further to a more visceral climax.
