New Voices reviewer Paddy Thompson took the plunge and watched National Dance Company Wales’ Roots tour, his first experience of contemporary dance. Here are his thoughts:
On 14 November 2017 I attended Roots, a four-part dance show at the Welsh National Dance Centre in Cardiff. It was a new and unfamiliar experience for me. Here are my own impressions of each element of show.
Beside Himself, choreographer, Caroline Finn:
I found this performance to be a clear and dynamic show. It had structure and form, and that really helped me to understand the story the dancer told of a personal battle between ego and alter ego.
Omerta, choreographer Matteo Marfoglia:
This was the shortest of all the performances. However, it was my favourite as it seemed to really show the harrowing but undervalued role of women within the mafia and the true nature of their position within the mafia’s hierarchy.
They Seek to Find the Happiness they Seem, choreographer Lee Johnson:
This performance told the story of two people falling out of love for reasons unbeknown to either of them. This dance clearly demonstrated this and I found it really engaging.
Animatorium, choreographer Caroline Finn:
This performance was my least favourite. It told the story of a puppetmaster being gradually overwhelmed by his puppets. While it was easy to follow, I found it difficult to engage with.
Paddy Johnson is a New Voices critic supported by Wales Critics Fund
NDCWales:
https://asiw.co.uk/news/national-dance-company-wales-autumn-tour-roots
Roots choreographer Matteo Marfoglia:
https://asiw.co.uk/my-own-words/matteo-marfoglia-creating-omerta-roots-ndcwales
Review: https://asiw.co.uk/reviews/roots-ndcwales-autumn-tour