The Storm
James Wilton Dance
Choreography by James Wilton
Score by Amarok / Michael Wojtas
Lighting design by Alan Dawson and James Wilton
Poole Lighthouse
Tuesday 5th November 2019, 19.45
PERFORMERS:
Soloists:
Norikazu Aoki
Sarah Jane Taylor
Dancers:
James Wilton
Jacob Lang
Sean Monroe
Apprentices:
Oliver Robertson
Genevieve Webzell
From the theatre website:
James Wilton Dance, one of Europe’s most in demand dance companies, present The Storm, a whirlwind of lightning fast, athleticism, where acrobatics, break-dancing, martial arts and contact work fuse to form dance that will blow audiences away. Seven dancers, a soundtrack of thundering electro-rock specially composed by Amarok and thousands of pieces of paper combine to create a work that will astound you with its athleticism and touch you emotionally in a way that words simply can’t. In this storm can you find peace? Can you find the calm eye of the storm? Will it all blow over?
It’s the completist in me that has me review dance theatre, because the reviews get far fewer hits than theatre plays. That makes sense. Dance is to be experienced rather than described, and my companion will be the first to question any expertise or knowledge on my part. For me, the music is always a huge part. She studied dance (our second date was the film of the Royal Ballet’s Tales of Beatrix Potter and another early date was seeing her dance to Slaughter on Tenth Avenue). Until that point I doubt I’d seen any modern dance, but in the 70s, the London Contemporary Dance Company was one of the very best stage performances I remember and we saw them several times. Stages is still the best dance piece I’ve ever seen.
The Storm is based on discussions with neuroscientists, with the “storm” being mental health. Narrative in dance is subliminal, but we waited and attended the short Q & A afterwards with James Wilton to hear it explained. The Storm explores the link of mental illness and meteorology. The storm of mental health mirrors changing weather. OK. It brought back my writing partner’s opinion that kids are very hard to teach, or to get to concentrate, on windy days when barometric pressure is shifting. He often spoke about it and believed in having teaching strategies for windy days. Seriously.
The piece starts off with everyone together in a happy circle, arms entwining. There are three central friends, the two soloists and the third, helping figure – James Wilton. The other four dancers somersault, handstand, roll and whirl around them.
Norikazu Aoki & Sarah Jane Taylor
The soloists represent two aspects. Sarah Jane Taylor is in a traumatic state, one arm trembling violently. James Wilton is a tall, calming helping figure. I haven’t seen such dramatic trembling since Lavinia, the raped, blinded and handless victim in Titus Andronicus. The other soloist, Norikazu Aoki represents depression and addiction, shown by a circle of orange light which he struggles towards (I had guessed that one for myself). As James Wilton said afterwards, You can start by going to the pub for drinking with friends (the initial happy circle), then going to the pub for drinking, then just drinking.
The music is by Polish composer Michael Wotjas. The electronic (mainly) rhythm track is loud and bass heavy. Over much of it, the weaving melody line reminded me strongly of John McLaughlin’s guitar work (I heard others say Pink Floyd). The dance moves are supple, yoga like, with much work with intertwining the hands. Many years ago, we used to do yoga daily to John Mclaughlin, mainly to Devotion, but also Love, Devotion and Surrender and there was the same sinuous, stretching effect, but over a much more aggressive rhythm here, Toward the end of Act One I began to find it, though powerful, actively disturbing, though Karen found it therapeutic and wants to buy the music.
It is incredibly athletic. There’s a great deal of lifting, and James Wilton lifts both soloists at the same time. At the start of Act 2 there’s a section where he jumps violently over Norikazu’s recumbent body as if playing hopscotch, just missing the head with both feet repeatedly. Impressive. There’s a very good ticker tape section like falling leaves.
We noticed they wore socks. Odd. The stage was smooth and they do much sliding work which the socks must assist, but they also do lifts and twirls and we thought that would be safer barefoot. The four ensemble dancers were barefoot by the close (socks earlier) but the three principle dancers had socks. We wanted to ask that as a question in the post-show discussion, but it got truncated very quickly. Not surprisingly. On a performance day they work on stage for three and a half hours – a warm up, then a complete run through, then the show.
Definitely one to see.