This was an interesting triple bill which began and ended with more abstract pieces that sandwiched the narrative 'Strapless' upon which the critics had concentrated.
I really liked the abstract works. After the Rain, with the music of Arvo Part, gave in particular Marianela Nunez and Thiago Soares a chance to shine. Set against a plain backdrop, they and the other two pairs did amazing things, often in slow-motion, for twenty minutes.
Then we had Strapless, the story of the John Singer Sargent portrait of Amelie Gautreau. It is quite an interesting story but the Victorian suits and acting out seemed to me to restrict all but Natalia Osipova who was excellent as Amelie. Disappointing really, as I had been looking forward to seeing Edward Watson who was so excellent in Metamorphosis. I suppose it is all a question of why one goes to watch dance. Is it to see a story enacted or simply to watch dance. For me it is the latter.
And that's what I got with Within the Golden Hour. This consisted of seven pieces, all bar the penultimate to the music of Ezio Bosso. For me - and many in the audience - we were back to what we'd come for and Steven McRae and Sarah Lamb were outstanding as was Vadim Muntagirov. All set to a slightly changing abstract backdop, the various pairs of dance amazed the audience with their skill and fluidity.
All in all, an excellent evening but I am not sure of the wisdom of combining something so narrative with the other two.
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