Carlos Acosta's company, Acosta Danza returned to the Linbury Theatre with all its usual flair and ebullience, celebrating its tenth anniversary in a triple bill entitled “Folclor” that amply displayed the talents of these dazzling dancers.
Pontus Lidberg’s Paysage, soudain, la nuit was part of the 100% Cuban programme when the company performed at Sadler’s Wells in 2022. At the time, it was arguably the most persuasive creation out of the five works on offer. It has lost none of its appeal. A piece celebrating youth, it embraces the warmth and playfulness of various relationship dynamics, set against a backdrop of a field of corn (an art installation by Elizabeth Cerviño) at dusk and danced to the music of Leo Brouwer and Stefan Levin.
There was nothing startling about it but its nonchalant mood was infectious: with the Cuban Rumba rhythms slowly enveloping the senses, switching from solo to duet and then to the entire cast of eleven, it was totally immersive.
Lidberg's choreography was most notable in the way the transitions between steps were invisible, thus it was like watching a series of gentle surprises. In the duet between two men (Leandro Fernandez and Chay Deivis) there was a moment when one was on the floor and in a split second he had leapt onto the shoulder of his partner. Flying leaps appeared to come from nowhere. Adria Díaz and Brandy Martinez led the cast with authority and the utmost grace. The whole piece was like a comfort blanket. All that’s good about dance in twenty heavenly minutes.
Rafael Bonachela’s 2010 Soledad followed. In a duet that is so intense and powerful, it needs strong dancers and personalities, on this occasion duly delivered by the feisty Laura Rodriguez and Raul Reinoso. To gravelly songs by Chavela Vargas and Gidon Kremer, the choreography is highly inventive and emotionally potent. Opening with his hand on her buttock, the duet evolved into a sensual fight for control with Rodriguez sometimes lifting Reinoso in a display of equality. Lust spilled over but there were also moments of animosity, bordering on aggression. At one point she brutally threw him to the ground and he took a couple of swipes at her which she expertly dodged. Throughout the pull and push and overt antagonism, there were passages of complicated movements, skilfully executed by both dancers with formidable strength.
During the interval, someone commented on the fact that the dancers look as if they have no bones, such is the silky smooth quality of their movement. In the final piece, this feline quality was much in evidence.
Cuban choreographers Norge Cedeño and Thais Suárez brought their Hybrid (also part of 100% Cuban). The programme explains that they were inspired by the myth of Sisyphus who was condemned to roll an enormous boulder up a hill for eternity, only for it to roll back down before quite reaching the top. While this theme was not evident on the stage, there was a clear illustration of being captive and shackled to ropes and then set free.
Amisaday Naara was the central character – an extraordinarily good dancer with a beautiful stage presence, she, along with the rest of the cast, hardly drew breath for 40 minutes. To music by Jenny Peña and Randy Araujo, the speed and athleticism with which they tackled the choreography was thrilling.
While the motivation in Hybrid was somewhat ambiguous, the dancers themselves are of such high calibre that whatever they do, they are eminently watchable. The company clearly benefits from cross training in contemporary and in classical ballet which inevitably promotes versatility. Acosta Danza continues to captivate because of a combination of energy, beauty, individuality and technical assurance.
