Phoenix Dance Theatre - Declarations
Liverpool Playhouse
16 September 2010
I saw Phoenix Dance Theatre for the first time at the Liverpool Playhouse this evening. I was reminded in all good ways of my long-lamented New English Contemporary Dance Company. Phoenix presented a completely contemporary set of four works rooted in fantastic classical technique to a mix of classical and contemporary music - much as NECB did - and it was completely the kind of dance I love.
Although the company is soon to celebrate 30 years they seem utterly fresh and new.
The show opened with The Audacious One, based on Barack Obama's 'Audacity of Hope' speech and was a strong opener. Full of drama, movement and humour and set to excerpts from Mozart's Requiem, this piece set the scene for a promising evening as the dancers' talent and technique was clearly apparant from the outset. A little prop-bound and tinny sounding for my taste, but it was a good start.
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Second up was Locked in Vertical, a new work by British Sri Lankan choreographer Isira Makuloluwe, which was simply breathtaking. Powerful, very technical and full of emotive power, this piece danced by Azzurra Ardovini, Phil Sanger, Josh Wille and Chihiro Kawasaki, gave me the feeling that I was watching something very special. The modern soundtrack by composer Francois Caffenne was wonderful.
After the interval the company returned with Haunted Passages, a company classic from 1989. With an actual set - a ghostly curtained window, and set to music by Benjamin Britten - this piece by Philip Taylor was danced by Ardovini, Sanger and Wille and was also wonderful. Based on the disturbing images that haunt us in the states between sleep and sleeplessness, it made me wonder what a fully-staged narrative ballet danced in contemporary style would be like, for this was extraordinarily contemporary and yet very classical in technique and its use of acting. I can see why they regularly revive this piece.
Finally came Maybe Yes Maybe, Maybe No Maybe, which featured a streetdance-esqe soundtrack - or soundscape - by Street Furniture built up of layers created by the voices and noises made by the dancers into a live mic hanging centre stage. It was gimmicky but managed to completely transcend that with strong performances, skilful use of humour - allowing the dancers to really show some personality - strong technique and great variety of light and sound and mood. All five dancers shone, with plenty of solo work as well as some breathtaking interplay between the entire group - notably a dramatic downlit solo by Chihiro Kawasaki that turned into a duet with Josh Wille.
All the dancers were outstanding, notably Azzurra Ardovini and Chihiro Kawasaki, although Amanda Lewis was a strong dancer with great presence. The very handsome and rather sexy Josh Wille and Phil Sanger are two of the best male contemporary dancers I have had the privilege of seeing, especially when they danced together - and I love it when the boys dance together. Both have great technique with Josh being more gymnastic and Phil more classical in style, but I could have watched them for hours - masculine and elegant.
Phoenix aim to become the leading medium scale UK dance company - and I wouldn't argue with that. I can't wait to see them again, and hopefully they will venture to Manchester on their next outing. They received a well-earned positive reception at the Playhouse tonight but the auditorium was only about half-full. They deserve better.
A step by step guide to Phoenix Dance Theatre - The Guardian![]()
Liverpool Playhouse
16 September 2010
I saw Phoenix Dance Theatre for the first time at the Liverpool Playhouse this evening. I was reminded in all good ways of my long-lamented New English Contemporary Dance Company. Phoenix presented a completely contemporary set of four works rooted in fantastic classical technique to a mix of classical and contemporary music - much as NECB did - and it was completely the kind of dance I love.
Although the company is soon to celebrate 30 years they seem utterly fresh and new.
The show opened with The Audacious One, based on Barack Obama's 'Audacity of Hope' speech and was a strong opener. Full of drama, movement and humour and set to excerpts from Mozart's Requiem, this piece set the scene for a promising evening as the dancers' talent and technique was clearly apparant from the outset. A little prop-bound and tinny sounding for my taste, but it was a good start.
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| Azzura Ardovini, Phil Sanger and Josh Wille |
Finally came Maybe Yes Maybe, Maybe No Maybe, which featured a streetdance-esqe soundtrack - or soundscape - by Street Furniture built up of layers created by the voices and noises made by the dancers into a live mic hanging centre stage. It was gimmicky but managed to completely transcend that with strong performances, skilful use of humour - allowing the dancers to really show some personality - strong technique and great variety of light and sound and mood. All five dancers shone, with plenty of solo work as well as some breathtaking interplay between the entire group - notably a dramatic downlit solo by Chihiro Kawasaki that turned into a duet with Josh Wille.
All the dancers were outstanding, notably Azzurra Ardovini and Chihiro Kawasaki, although Amanda Lewis was a strong dancer with great presence. The very handsome and rather sexy Josh Wille and Phil Sanger are two of the best male contemporary dancers I have had the privilege of seeing, especially when they danced together - and I love it when the boys dance together. Both have great technique with Josh being more gymnastic and Phil more classical in style, but I could have watched them for hours - masculine and elegant.
Phoenix aim to become the leading medium scale UK dance company - and I wouldn't argue with that. I can't wait to see them again, and hopefully they will venture to Manchester on their next outing. They received a well-earned positive reception at the Playhouse tonight but the auditorium was only about half-full. They deserve better.
A step by step guide to Phoenix Dance Theatre - The Guardian
