A half lit smoky stage, dissected by lights that box in the dancers. A mirror like quality, that creates a beautiful ghosting. Fluidity, indeed an efficacy of fluidity underpins the double bill. Impeccable timing and intense clarity of movement that bonds all four dancers in both unison and contact work with undeniable emotive power. Goddard Nixon’s ‘Eden’ is stunning. Visually and emotionally stunning.
Such supple quality with which the dancers swirl and glide around the stage is perhaps what appeals most to the audience member. The dancers don’t just dance, they move with such relative ease that they bring fluidity to a new level. The use of dynamic lighting to recreate a three- sided mirror was arguably the most beautiful point in the piece. Bewitching to the eye, Gemma Nixon and Elena Thomas were so in tune with one another that the choreography achieved such a level of perfection, it could quite easily be mistaken for a real mirror reflection.
Likewise, ‘Pictures We Make’ exudes a quiet power; manifesting itself through an apparent tension between the dancers as they explore the different roles in relationships. Said to be inspired by the performers’ own past experiences, this is seen through opposing images of chairs being violently thrown around, and the uniformity of the dancers as they sit straight backed in lines. An interesting contrast to ‘Eden’ with its fluidity and exploratory nature of space and movement, ‘Pictures We Make’, still impresses.
Fluidity and intense quality of movement are qualities to be praised within Company Chameleon’s double bill. Aspects, which in my opinion truly to help elevate the piece to something with true artistic and emotional merit- a show well worth catching.
Charlotte Arnold 