Rambert at Norwich Theatre Royal

On the evening of Thursday 17th October 2013 I saw Rambert at Norwich Theatre Royal. They are the most distinctive and creative contemporary dance company working in Great Britain today.

Rambert, a powerhouse of dance since 1926, presented a spectacular evening of entertainment featuring terrific dancers, wonderful costumes and great live music from the Rambert Orchestra conducted by Paul Hoskins. The programme consisted of SUB, Dutiful Ducks, Sounddance and The Castaways.

Following the critically acclaimed and multi-award nominated A Linha Curva, Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili returned with his high energy work, SUB, a battlefield of relentlessly sparring testosterone. SUB is performed by seven men responding with full force to the rhythmic complexity of Michael Gordon's Weather One.

Using Charles Amirkhanian's tongue-twisting sound-text of the same name as a starting point, Richard Alston's short solo for a male dancer, first created for Michael Clark in 1982, is sharp and witty. Dutiful Ducks premièred as a solo in 1982. It premièred for four dancers by Ballet Rambert at Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury on 10 October 1986.

Made in 1975 by the late master of contemporary dance, Merce Cunningham, this ecstatic opus was inspired by the words of writer James Joyce and the tiny racing life seen under a microscope. Sounddance made its UK revival première at Sadler's Wells, London on Tuesday 16 October 2012. Sounddance was last performed in London July 1980.

American-born Barak Marshall, has presented work across the world but rarely in the UK. Arresting, original and fevered in style, Barak made his Rambert debut this October with The Castaways. Set to a vibrant mix of traditional Yiddish music and American popular tunes from the 1950s, Barak Marshall's The Castaways is a humorous and playful exploration of human nature. Celebrated for his inventive choreography and witty theatricality, Barak has a truly unique style, the way he brings together popular music, inventive dance and enthralling story lines which makes for an unmissable spectacle.

This was a fantastic night of Contemporary Dance at Norwich Theatre Royal with Rambert performing four wonderful works. The Castaways was my favourite piece which followed the journey of twelve souls trapped in a kind of no-man's land.

See the Music, Hear the Dance!

On the evening of Wednesday 13th March 2013 I attended the Richard Alston Dance Company performance at Norwich Theatre Royal. The meeting of movement and music remains Richard Alston's unswerving inspiration. See the music, hear the dance.

The programme consisted of Buzzing Round the Hunisuccle, Shimmer and The Devil in the Detail with pianist Jason Ridgway. The Richard Alston Dance Company has grown into the UK's most avidly followed contemporary dance company.

Inspired by the music of Jo Kondo, Buzzing Round the Hunnisuccle puts your mind into the stillness of a Japanese minimal garden with the hunnisuccle being a cool oasis of calm. An Elder's Hocket is full of brass sonorities hovering around the quietest of piano chords.

Shimmer was danced to Maurice Ravel's Sonatine and music from Miroirs. The dancers were wearing jewel-encrusted cobweb costumes giving a wonderful sense of theatre. The music of Ravel moves from beautiful to strange giving an contrasting atmosphere to the piece.

The final piece was The Devil in the Detail which was inspired by the music of Scott Joplin, the King of Ragtime. Music like the Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer are always uplifting and a pleasure to listen too. The dances were full of stylish swagger with pianist Jason Ridgway playing live onstage.

The was an inspiring night at Norwich Theatre as we were treated to some amazing dancing complimented with great music. The Company gave it's unique combination of the innovative and the entertaining from it's Artistic Director, Richard Alston.