At the Linbury Theatre, the Paul Taylor Dance Company lived up to its reputation: energetic, athletic, ebullient and above all, musical. These ingredients contributed to an overall sense of joyfulness which was irresistible.
Back in London after more than two decades, the second programme brought Taylor’s final work for the Company before his death in 2018. Concertiana, set to Eric Ewazen’s Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra, Taylor’s choreography translates the music seamlessly into movement. Each phrase has an element of geometry, of perfect synchronicity, out of which burst occasional surprises.
First impressions were that this group of dancers truly engage with the audience. They were ‘real’ people who happen to be able to leap and whirl in unimaginable ways. There was no slightly dusty veil that fell between performer and audience making the dancers appear untouchable. Each of them delivered their own version of events, complete with idiosyncrasies and individuality.
A strong solo from Austin Kelly where he was intent on drawing us in was followed by something more melancholic, despairing from Elizabeth Chapa. All the while the rest of the cast paced across the back of the stage making simple steps captivating. Patterns emerged, moods changed, becoming more buoyant as the music dictated. Alex Clayton exploded, one moment still and calm, the next airborne and frantic.
This was Taylor’s 147th creation and it culminated in a most satisfying ending. The dancers rounded each other up, swiftly pacing as the group became tighter and faced the audience in a circular huddle as the curtain came down.
Lauren Lovette is a former principal dancer of New York City Ballet and might at first seem like an unlikely candidate for Resident Choreographer of the Taylor Company. Yet, it’s a really good match. Her 2023 Echo for seven men, to music from Kevin Puts’ Contact, is an exploration into masculinity. I did not read the programme notes until afterwards and missed some of the intended nuances of meaning. It was however, powerfully danced by each member of the cast.
Delving into emotional needs and male aggression, at times it felt as if the piece was focusing on the complex facets of male characteristics which are not always plain to see. The vulnerabilities, the need to expunge unwanted aggression or even invite competitive combat, was ably demonstrated. Outstanding amid a supremely good cast was Caleb Manson, who captured our attention whenever he graced the stage. While Lovette might not be quite up there with Taylor yet, there is ample proof that the methodology is sound and there is plenty of potential.
I have to confess that my main interest on this programme was seeing a live performance of Taylor’s 1975 masterpiece Esplanade. It did not disappoint. The Company gave it their all, and why wouldn’t they? Set to various movements from Bach’s Violin Concerto in E major and Double Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, it reinforced the fact that Bach's two-part invention is a monumental driver for dance.
Taylor’s inspiration for the piece came from watching a girl running for a bus. And yes, there is plenty of running but it’s like perpetual charging as never seen before. The speed and attack, the fearlessness, were thrilling. This is what Paul Taylor dancers do best. They were entirely emancipated from any physical constraints. If they hadn’t looked so graceful and light on their feet, they could have been likened to a stampede.
Although reluctant to pick out any individual, it would be remiss of me not to mention the dynamo that is Madelyn Ho. Every time she flew across the stage like tumbleweed, she took us with her. It’s not just the physical wonder that enthrals, but her personality, which makes the viewer feel she’s doing all this, just for you.
The choreography is full of wit, as the women were thrown from partner to partner, as each cast member slid across the floor with a ‘devil may care’ attitude, or they leapt without caution, defying gravity. As the delightful Jada Pearman was left alone in the closing moments of the piece, there was a sense of elation, of complete intoxication. If you want to feel happy, then this is your fix.
And one hopes that next time, we won’t have to wait so long for a return visit.
