Stephanie Ferguson 

NDT2

Lowry, Salford
  
  


The young dancers of Nederlands Dans Theater 2 were given a run for their money by a golden oldie in a pink cardigan at the start of their UK tour. Plucked from the stalls to join the Latin- American action in Minus 16, a quirky piece of audience participation from Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, she turned in a nifty bit of footwork to the rumba rhythms, maybe angling for a place in the more mature ranks of NDT3.

The dancers, aged 17 to 22, all have an unmistakable style: fluid, technically dazzling and off the wall. Confident and controlled, they attack the choreography with panache, even the most demanding and inventive of contortions underpinned by their powerful classical line. They are simply the best around. With its pounding techno sections tacked on to the mambo and a touch of Hava Nagila, Naharin's work has maximum youth appeal, the dozen dancers exploding into wild gyrations.

A compilation of previous works, Minus 16 feels in part as if it was created by a committee. The opening section, a sinister game of musical chairs, sees the dancers maniacally chanting and frenetically repeating motifs as they lift and twist themselves off their seats, flinging up their arms as if shot. Clad in traditional Judaic dress, they do a wild strip, flinging black hats, jackets and shoes centre stage as if sloughing off Orthodoxy. It is a great showcase for the company's exuberance and virtuosity, the dancers introducing themselves in a stream of slick solos.

Hans van Manen's Simple Things, a series of duos for interchanging couples, has a more minimal approach. Pierre Pontvianne and Lukas Timulak give us a burst of testosterone-fuelled action in their laddish duel, every muscle slugging it out to the rollicking accordion piece, Scarlatti Fever.

Then they switch to partner Parvaneh Scharafali and Cristina Gallofre Vargas in two intricate and contrasting duos, set to Haydn. One is contained, the couple closely interlocked in an elaborate piece of human architecture, the other expansive, exultant, all stretches and wonderfully mirrored gestures, the dancers' legs out-turned like nesting tables.

The triple bill opened with Jiri Kylian's stylish romp, Indigo Rose. It is fast, fun and full of witty touches - from the men bouncing the women horizontally by their sweaters, bungee-style, to a clever shadow play on the fabric screen skimming across the stage. Just as there's no such thing as an indigo rose, perfection doesn't exist, argues Kylian. Maybe. But with NDT2 you're as close as it gets.

· At Theatre Royal, Glasgow (0141-332 9000), on Friday and Saturday, then touring.

 

Leave a Comment

Required fields are marked *

*

*