A cool, slick showcase of fresh talent
Living up to its name, Colossus makes its ambitious UK premiere at the Southbank Centre. Choreographed by Australia’s award-winning Stephanie Lake and performed by the 60-strong graduating class of the London Contemporary Dance School at The Place, this is an awe-inspiring work of contemporary dance, writes Melina Block.
A mass of bodies shake, glide and wriggle across the space in a manner reminiscent of those aerial-view videos of swarms of ants trapped in geometric loops. Lake’s choreography takes full advantage of the huge company of dancers she has, creating mesmerising formations and playing with visual patterns. As most contemporary dance ensembles consist of less than half the amount of the dancers in Colossus, it feels like a treat to see a performance on this scale.
Fluid, rolling contortions are punctuated by the sudden striking of an angular pose; these shifts in movement quality are often audibly marked by hisses, breaths and shouts. With the dancers all dressed in black against a plain white floor and backdrop, thumping music pulsating throughout, Colossus is not a subtle affair. Punchy and unrelenting, there’s no time to pause.
While some of the unison moments could do with a bit of tightening to heighten their impact, the dancers themselves do grow more confident throughout the 50-minute piece, ramping up in energy rather than flagging as they power through each section. Lake’s creative vision allows for plenty of personal interpretation, with something as simple as a flick of the arm expressed in a myriad of different ways. The duets and trios interspersed throughout the performance are particularly enthralling, offering a glimpse of the unique styles of the next generation of dance artists.
A cool, slick showcase of fresh talent—from both the company and the choreographer—Colossus is a reminder that contemporary dance should, by its nature, feel this exciting.
