DRAW FROM WITHIN | STAGE REVIEW
Livestreamed from Rambert Studios, Fri 25 Sept
Legendary British dance company Rambert became the latest entertainment source to embrace digital alternatives with a livestream performance titled Draw From Within. Wim Vandekeybus’ performance, specially designed with the camera in mind, ushers in both a rebound for the company and an exciting glimpse at dance in a post-Coronavirus world.
Delivered live from Rambert’s London studios and co-presented by the Wales Millennium Centre, Vandekeybus’s vision was clearly indebted to a wealth of horror concepts, as his vision saw the performers surge through a rollercoaster ride of fears and vulnerabilities: deeply primal and surreal, yet intimately relatable.
The show opened with the dancers curling and contorting to mimic the path of smoke, a motif that dominated the first third of the show, before becoming an instrument in the capable hands of Liam Francis, who exuded strength and confidence. Swiftly following was a toecurling section rooted in more traditional horror. The central dancer stiffly jerked and wrenched herself across the studio in a manner so deeply convincing it bordered on unsettling, as if the force that appeared to reanimate her body was still working out how to pilot it.
A standout section came just after the halfway mark of the performance. Introduced by a nervy skit, it captured the desperation of being trapped within a dream where everyone else knows what’s going on to a tee, and Max Day’s lithe performance as a darkly prodigious child flicked between comedic and disturbing with ease. Throughout the entire 70-minute run time, all 19 dancers were incredible, although Juan Gil and Daniel Davidson were particularly enthralling throughout.
Clever cinematography prevented the camera from being a hindrance, and was used instead as a defty deployed tool. Vandekeybus, who has extensive experience as a filmmaker as well as a choreographer, has essentially delivered a masterclass for future choreographers in how to integrate the camera in a non-intrusive manner. For viewers, this resulted in a deeply immersive and gripping viewing experience.
From a creative perspective, Draw From Within was well and truly a success – each dancer perfectly practiced, positioned and poised, while the rich tapestry of horror tropes weaved together created an unpredictable but deeply enjoyable atmosphere. However, the evening did unfortunately experience the teething issues of an increasingly digital world, with server problems delaying the original performance. A shaky debut for the newly launched Rambert Home Studio platform, but it didn’t stop this standing as a tenacious hurrah for a struggling industry.
words ALEX PAYNE photos CAMILLA GREENWELL