Out Of The Shadow at Brighton Dome
Out Of The Shadow, the award-winning dance show, comes to Brighton Dome
“Dance to express, not to impress” is the mission of Austrian dance company Nobulus, who will be bringing their show Out Of The Shadow to Brighton Dome on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 October. The high energy, gripping performance unravels over three acts, each one delving into a different stage of evolution, from the creation of the universe through to the struggles of the current day and a view of the world in an apocalyptic future.
Using only their bodies, the 10-strong crew create otherworldly scenes by morphing primal images of sacrifice and betrayal, of love and pleasure, death and destruction to an epic soundtrack. The ‘Shadows’ clothed in black are androgynous, and use a highly physical language that that enables them to create mercurial structures, machines and animals.
The show was conceived and choreographed by Alexander Wengler, who started to dance at the age of five and took his first inspiration from Michael Jackson. Since 1999, he has developed his own style and skills through working with various hip-hop dance styles and choreographers.
“When we started making Out Of The Shadow we had no resources, no money. So we couldn’t build a set, we had to do that with our bodies,” Alexander explains. “Originally I had a dream of building a set when we were able to do a bigger production. When I got to that point and we were making a full-length version I realised that if I added a set it would take away so much from the show it would change it completely. I decided that the strength was with us using our bodies.”
“The internal struggle exists for us all but we have some collective responsibility for how we make positive change”
But what inspired Wengler to make a piece that comments on the world in this way and how we as individuals can change it? “If you want to make a change and make it in real life you have to ask the question, ‘how do I do that?’ It is a process. In the production this is what I’m presenting, the idea that the internal struggle exists for us all individually but we have some collective responsibility for how we make positive changes to help the planet and create a peaceful existence for all. I really believe that it is our generation who will have to deal with the impact of our lifestyles in order to change the future for the better.”
Fusing an impressive array of breaking, popping, locking, NuStyle and house alongside contemporary, classical and experimental dance forms, Nobulus’ work sees all these dance styles merge with the dancers’ bodies to create something new. The company includes some of the most talented dancers from across Europe with an impressive array of experience between them including appearances in film, commercials and even a Robbie Williams video.
Out Of The Shadow was first performed as a seven-minute showcase at the international hip-hop event Battle of the Year in Germany in 2006. A 20-minute version was presented at Breakin’ Convention in London in 2007 and four years of creative development later, a full-length version of the work was premiered and toured across Austria. Out Of The Shadow will tour the UK for the first time and audiences in Brighton will have a chance to see this impressive show which critics have called jaw dropping and mesmerising.
Out Of The Shadow, Tuesday 29–Wednesday 30 October 2013, Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, £10–£18.50, under 16s half price, 01273 709709, www.brightondome.org
