Acosta Danza 100% Cuban, Royal Concert Hall Nottingham, 15/2/22

 

Resuming the tour that should have happened in 2020, Acosta Danza have dropped the "Rooster" piece (made popular by Rambert Dance) and gone "100% Cuban" - and, favourite though Rooster is, with its 60s Rolling Stones hits, I didn't miss it one little bit. 

The programme was made up of 5 pieces, 2 before the interval and 3 after. The first, Liberto, was for two dancers and had echoes of slavery/captivity but also fellowship and liberation. Both were consummate performers but the female dancer, tall Zeleidy Crespo, had such a presence - all poise, grace and athleticism - that Mario Sergio Elias was almost in her shadow at the times when they shared the stage. In the central, duet, section the music coalesced around a beautiful haunting 4-note riff which stuck in my head so much that I had to work it out when I got home. 

The second piece, Hybrid, featured 10 dancers and a rope. According to the programme one of the themes here was the fable of Sisyphus, condemned to pulling a boulder up a hill repeatedly only to see it roll back down every time. The performers dance separately, in pairs, and in huddles: lots of action, lots of excitement, lots of dynamic movement.

After the interval we were treated first to "Paysage, Soudain, la Nuit" - a piece for 11 dancers. The set is simple, with a line of long grass or perhaps wheat across the back. I found this one spell-binding, the dancers flowing across the stage, the movements impossibly synchronous when they were moving in unison, the music rumba-inspired.

The next piece, Impronta, was 7 minutes of Zeleidy Crespo twisting, turning, long blue dress flowing. (According to the programme "an invocation of folk dances of Afro-Cuban heritage".) It was stunning. 

Finally we had De Punta a Cabo: 14 dancers dressed in casual clothes, as if for a Friday night out in Havana with friends. The music started off with a laid-back jazz feel and evolved into something late-night and steamy, and then to an up-beat solid Cuban. We follow the fun of the evening with groups and couples interacting until everyone retires to one side of the stage and takes their (outer) clothes off, presumably for bed!

I'm very aware that my knowledge of dance is minimal. I couldn't name any steps, couldn't recognise any styles or types. Of course that doesn't matter: technical knowledge about how an artwork is put together is never necessary for the viewer to be stimulated, moved, or excited by what they see or experience. And personally if I'm going to sit in a theatre for 2+ hours I need to be entertained!

I was, big time!

In my view this is the very best that contemporary dance can be, and would be accessible to, and enjoyed by, any human being with eyes and ears (though one could argue the latter are optional).

Sadly the theatre was only half-full. But that meant I was able to return (to a cheaper seat!) the following night!