Rosas – The Song

I was looking forward to seeing Belgian choreographer, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, company, Rosas perform their new work The Song at Sadler’s Wells, after seeing Rosas – Steve Reich Evening in 2008 and Rosas danst Rosas in 2009, both of which I found fascinating but I found it hard to connect with this dance.

Rosas  Rosas 2

Nine male dancers and two women danced and moved in and to silence, only the sound of their feet beating a rhythm on the floor as they ran and their breath could be heard. The set was stark, a massive roll with the appearance of tin foil above their heads, which occasionally unrolled to produce fabulous reflections on the floor, sometimes like a reflection of a massive spine, sometimes like dappled water. Beautiful interesting images, but the silver shiny material also reflected harsh lights back out at the audience uncomfortably momentarily blinding us. Why do this to your audience?

Rosas 3

Rosas 4

I thought my teeth would erupt when one dancer rubbed her hands on a substance on the floor producing terrible grating, amplified, rhythmic squeaks to accompany part of the dance.

The Song is very fast, a lot of running, ducking and diving. Unusually I sat high up looking down, but was glad of this as I was able from there to enjoy the shifting patterns created by the performers as they moved and changed direction en mass, sometimes the appearance of flock of migrating birds sometimes a silent game of 40-40-home (or it, had, chase, catch, or whatever the kids round your way call it). I came away with interesting images in my head but also a sense of confusion.

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