Dancenorth, Lucy Guerin Inc, Gideon Obarzanek & Senyawa: Attractor

We are at a tribal campfire or perhaps a sweat-lodge. At the centre our Shamans, the Indonesian musicians Senyawa, are building an unearthly soundscape from Rully Shabara’s throat and Wukir Suryadi’s bamboo spear.

At a certain moment, when the energy is ready, the eight dancers spark out of the circle like electricity – shaking, whirling, sinuous, crazed.

Lit like a Caravaggio painting (by Ben Bosco Shaw), Attractor is beautiful to look at and deliciously abandoned. It’s no surprise to read in the programme that the Australian directors/choreographers Lucy Guerin and Gideon Obarzanek met Senyawa at a traditional trance ceremony in Java: they have transmuted that experience into the work with all its raw energy and transcendental overtones.

Whilst Attractor uses some familiar contemporary dance tropes – dancing in unison, flailing limbs, repeated rhythms, running in circles, and flinging of hair – it avoids ever being dull. How? By always having the stage picture in mind and choreographing with an artist’s eye. Patterns are formed and swiftly broken at a satisfying pace. Amidst the euphoric action are moments of repose and gathering, of listening and breathing. A Pina Bausch-esque tableau gives us a pale and flickering kaleidoscope of arms and fingers.

The integration of the musicians into the work is skilfully done. At one point they are picked up, still throat gurgling and flute tooting, and moved around the stage, then dragged along the floor. The Shamans are temporarily spent. There seems to be percussion coming from the audience – it is, and soon the dancers are joined on stage by a procession of ordinary folk who join their circle and begin to dance. It’s an open-hearted gesture that adds extra humanity to an already heart-felt piece. The company has, throughout, been one of unity with no stars or lengthy solos, and now the mass of people move through simpler steps as one big family, different shapes and sizes, each themselves yet part of the whole.

It’s no surprise that Attractor has won several awards around the world. Nick Roux’s sound design is a masterpiece in its own right: the music is truly exciting. Only the rather lacklustre costumes, which are little more than street-wear, let it down.

But in the way it makes dance so vital, so part of everybody’s life, is magnificent. I would have joined them all on stage and danced myself to oblivion given half a chance. Maybe next time.

 

 

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About Lisa Wolfe

Lisa Wolfe is a freelance theatre producer and project manager of contemporary small-scale work. Companies and people she has supported include: A&E Comedy, Three Score Dance, Pocket Epics, Jennifer Irons,Tim Crouch, Liz Aggiss, Sue MacLaine, Spymonkey and many more. Lisa was Marketing Manager at Brighton Dome and Festival (1989-2001) and has also worked for South East Dance, Chichester Festival Theatre and Company of Angels. She is Marketing Manager for Carousel, learning-disability arts company.