At times contemporary dance and physical theatre is dismissed by new audiences as pretentious, shut off, or incomprehensible; Tangram is the opposite. Stefan Sing and Cristiana Casadio have created a piece that absolutely opens the door to its audience, using juggling and dance in perfect harmony to take us through the trials and tribulations of love.
As the title suggests a key theme of the piece is unity, and Sing and Casadio fit together perfectly. Casadio’s nimble body glides through the performance to be equalled by the physical prowess of Sing’s tall and slender frame. The coordination of their slick and controlled movements and daring choreography work well in tandem. Sing’s background in circus complements Casadio’s in ballet which makes for a fast pace and exciting visual spectacle.
Occasionally I felt that some sequences went on too long, which started to slow the tempo of an otherwise punchy performance. However, these dips in pace were made less noticeable by the strength of the physicality. In addition, more could be made of the light and shade between the two performers at the beginning of the piece; although this was handled excellently at the end.
I thoroughly enjoyed this performance, the mastery of the artists’ respective disciplines allows for a risky, highly creative and moving performance - well worth a watch.