This spectacular cluster of dance pieces not only astounded through the sheer physicality of their presentation, but to produce piece after piece of originally choreographed narrative, so experimental yet clearly owing to Ceyda Tanc’s traditional Turkish folk training, was utterly remarkable. In the youth performance category, this clearly tops the bill but the quality of the show could definitely hold its own if compared to an adult contemporary.
The show was impressive taking into account that it was performed by a youth dance company, but also impressive full stop
The complexity of the routines and their near faultless executions were breathtaking. The dancers moved from floor-based to partner work with such skill and ease that it made each piece as interesting and unique as the last.
From coming together in scenes of combat to breaking apart for incredible solos, the dancers perfectly embodied each narrative, showing such dedication to each role and clearly demonstrated their skill and clear hard work that went into making each piece.
Yet the most charming thing about the show as a whole was that every age, and so every ability, got to showcase their skills. From the tiny dancers, who can’t have been much older than twelve, to the young adults, they shared the stage together.
Even if you aren’t aware of Tanc’s work or the Turkish folk traditions she references, I highly recommend this show. An inspired choreographer, she takes the traditionally male movements of Turkish folk dance and transposes them onto her largely female ensemble. By subverting traditional meaning and liberating the body of the female dancer, she has created a unique performance vocabulary that was thoroughly impressive to watch.
Every so often there was a flicker of familiarity in one of the moves, but they were stylised, not repetitive and each solo blew the audience away. One of the few male dancers ended to a huge applause as he rounded off his cacophony of movements with incredible control.
There was a slight strangeness to the ending, which was a shame as it meant that the dancers missed out on their final applause. Each section had been standalone and carefully compacted, so as the last group exited the stage we were left with the faint murmur of noise from the surrounding bars and the slow awkward lifting of the lights, but this was in no way a fault of the performers.
The show was impressive taking into account that it was performed by a youth dance company, but also impressive full stop. So if you’re searching for something a little bit different this Fringe, this is not a show to be overlooked.
