The hot new thing in dance
Ballet is still sexy at The Brown Suite, the new show directed and choreographed by Nahum McLean and Darius Drooh, the rising stars behind BlacBrik. Set to the dulcet tones of James Brown, Etta James and Sam Cooke, this is a standout piece of theatre, writes Melina Block.
The tight technique of each of the dancers is freeing rather than inhibitive. As it should, this clean technical foundation provides them a stable base from which to express their individual styles, injecting personality and charisma into each step. The varied choreographic influences, from classical ballet and modern dance to funk and jazz, are all present and all performed flawlessly by the uber-talented cast.
With its iconic music, cheeky choreography and episodic structure, The Brown Suite is reminiscent of Christopher Bruce’s 1991 Rolling Stones-soundtracked modern classic, Rooster. Instead of 1960s London, however, the inspiration here is 1970s New York. In a time before social media, before nightlife venues shuttered seemingly every week, this show is an ode to the visceral joy of human connection; messy love affairs, close-knit friendships, and the new, fleeting relationships formed on dance floors at 2am.
New independent dance production company Fundamentally Dance brings in some big names for this show, with Rambert’s former Artistic Director, Mark Baldwin OBE, serving as Artistic Advisor. BlacBrik is clearly drumming up some well-deserved hype with their work and if The Brown Suite is any indicator of McLean and Drooh’s talent, then it shouldn’t be long before they start commanding even more attention. If you have been looking for the hot new thing in dance, this just might be it.
Booking and Tour Dates: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-brown-suite/
