Material Men & Strange Blooms – Shabana Jeyasingh Dance

This double bill began with an explosive electronic crash and then eight androgynous dancers responded to the throbbing chords and harpsichord riffs of Gabriel Prokofiev’s loud music. A quote from Darwin and occasional laser imagery related this to the cellular life of plants, the strange blooms. The frenetic movement of bodies required tremendous precision and trust.

In ‘Material Men’, Sooraj Subramaniam and Shailesh Bahoran danced in contrasting styles to Elena Kats-Chernin’s music, performed live by The Smith Quartet and Leafcutter John. This too was loud. Subramaniam presented variations of classical Indian forms while Bahoran’s dance relies more on visceral strength.

Brighton Dome, Corn Exchange, 6 October 2015

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