Acosta Danza, Folclor Review 3*
Acosta Danza breeds irresistible life into uneven material in its latest triple bill, Folclor, at the Linbury Theatre
Cuba has a wealth of excellent dancers and by virtue of its very name Acosta Danza has the pick of the best. Less than a decade after it was set uo by the Cuban ballet superstar Carlos Acosta in 2016, Acosta Danza has established itself internationally, its name synonymous with the vitality and artistry of Cuban dancers.
Acosta Danza’s style combines classical ballet and contemporary technique, liberally infused with the rich blend of influences that makes up Afro-Cuban culture; and its repertoire includes works by well known international choreographers alongside up-and-coming Cuban dance makers.
It’s uneven, but never less than interesting, as illustrated by Folclor, the triple bill Acosta Danza has brought to the Linbury Theatre.
Of the three works, Paysage, soudain, la nuit by the Swedish choreographer Pontus Lidberg, is the most accomplished. It’s a gentle, playful piece for 11 dancers, performed against a line of wild grasses (set design Elizabet Cerviño).
Acosta Danza, Paysage, soudain, la nuit. © Yuris Nórido
As it opens, a smiling woman wiggles her hips to catch the attention of a man seemingly asleep on the floor. One by one others join them, their Latin infused, flowing steps filling the stage with joyful waves of movement. Ensemble pieces give way to assorted groupings: a male solo, a duet for two men, a male/female duet.
Cuban inspired music by Leo Brouwer and Stefan Levin drives them on. Paysage, soudain la nuit is a delicate, feel good work, that cleverly harnesses the very best of Cuban culture and the huge relatability of these dancers.
By contrast, Soledad by the Spanish-born Rafael Bonachela is a darkly intense duet of the can’t-live-with-you-can’t-live-without-you variety.
Acosta Danza veterans Laura Rodriguez and Raul Reinoso convincingly embody the carnality of this fraught relationship, pulling away only to come together again, swaying in tight clinches, the elation of energetic lifts giving way to momentary defeat.
Acosta Danza, Laura Rodriguez and Raul Reinoso in Soledad © Gabriel Guerra Bianchini
Soledad is danced to a medley of Latin music by Chavela Vargas and Gideon Kremer, including a personal favourite, the plaintive ‘La Llorona’; and Rodriguez and Reinoso extract every last ounce of feeling from this high octane domestic drama.
Hybrid, by Cubans Norge Cedeño and Thais Suárez, has a narrative of sorts, but it’s left to the audience to determine what it might be.
Red lit by Yaron Abufalia, who is also credited with set design, it opens with a woman tied hands and feet to ropes that hang from above. Two thick red lines form an angle on the stage; dancers cluster at its apex.
The woman struggles against the ropes; finally she is released by the other eight dancers, all dressed in metallic grey with harnesses over their upper bodies. Together they engage in what appears a dance of resistance, driven by Jenny Peña and Randy Araujo’s assertive score.
At one point they swap the harnesses for flowing skirts; and then their equally vigorous syncopated dance becomes a crescendo of defiant freedom.
I took it to mean primarily a reference to slavery and liberation; others will have read something more complex into it.
Folclor is a mixed bill in more ways than one; but full credit to Acosta Danza, whose dancers unfailingly breathe life into whatever material they are asked to perform.
© Teresa Guerreiro
(Banner Image credit: Acosta Danza in Hybrid © Yuris Nórido)
Acosta Danza’s Folclor is at the Linbury Theatre 15 – 20 February. Sold out – returns here