Dance: Free expression

Julie Cunningham & Company
Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells, London • 10-11.Nov.22

In response to two iconic pieces of Western classical music, Jules Cunningham and company present a queer spin on music that is normally danced traditionally. As a choreographer, Cunningham creates remarkably expressive work that catches nuances of the music in ways that feel almost off-handed. They also convey a remarkable range of very personal emotions, with vivid highs and lows.

M/y-kovsky
choreographer Jules Cunningham
performers Yu-Chien Cheng, Jules Cunningham, Eleanor Perry, Owen Ridley-DeMonick, Stephen Quildan
assistant director/dramaturg Harry Alexander
lighting Imogen Clarke
music Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1 second movement performed by Berlin Philmarmonic (1996), first movement performed by Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (1975)

Using Tchaikovsky's second movement as this piece's first half, Cunningham and Perry are on-stage acting out cheeky meeting with a roll of paper that becomes what looks like a picnic blanket, feeding into their flirtatious interaction. They then separate, using two more rolls to create bed-like scenarios across the stage, writing notes to each other before reuniting to exchange them. The interaction is never quite what we expect, full of witty twists and turns, performed with mischievous glee.

In the second half, four dancers perform to Tchaikovsky's triumphant first movement, combining classical and modern moves, barefoot in shiny black overalls that allow for some terrific pocket work. The tone shifts with the music, from a soaring march to more darkly emotive moments. Dancers move as a united group then spiral out into individual flourishes or break off in pairs. This use of the space with layers of personal interaction puts a playful spin on a familiar classical piece, including a witty interlude in which Cunningham enters the stage, joining, disrupting and coaxing the action.

Fire bird
choreographer/performer Jules Cunningham
featuring JD Samson
assistant director/dramaturg Joyce Henderson
lighting Imogen Clarke
costume/design Tim Spooner, Jules Cunningham
music Stravinsky's The Firebird performed by Bergen Philharmonic (2012)

With red string zig-zagging above the stage, Cunningham begins against the wall, casting dramatic shadows that seem to fight for dominance, pushing and pulling before they break free of each other. What follows is an epic 40-minute intimate performance that follows the ebb and flow of the music, shifting in tone from energetic expressiveness to contained darkness. The physical strain is considerable, as Cunningham pushes their body to extremes to reveal vulnerability and defiance.

Along the way, a video square appears on a wall showing a recording booth where mumbling vocals are added to the orchestration. Then Cunningham grabs a microphone and hums along while continuing to dance. They also find a pair of trainers in a corner, which allows for even more intense physicality, leading to a very big finish that echoes Stravinsky's musicality. Pretty much every emotion is demonstrated in this piece, with moves that are huge as well as quietly internalised, reacting and interacting to the music while being fearlessly individualistic.

Both of these pieces are powerful to watch, as they take on the nature of dance history itself, rewriting it for a more fluid generation. And while it may sometimes feel a bit meandering, the intensely personal nature of Cunningham's work carries a proper kick.

m/y-kovsky photo by Zbigniew Kotklewicz from an earlier production
fire bird photos by Christa Holka • 10.Nov.22