I wanted to love Ivan Blackstock’s Wild Card night at Sadler’s Wells. With seven pieces, one pre-show performance and post-show DJs, there was almost three hours of material to engage with. I felt the passion Blackstock and his dancers had for their art, and their energy kept me going, almost. But as the night progressed, I struggled to enjoy the long-winded performance, and left wishing Blackstock had put more thought into curating the evening as a whole.
That being said, there were plenty of moments within the evening that were fantastic. The dusty world of The Awakening was a quirky amusement that started the night off on a great note. Blackstock and Botis Seva’s spooky little scene drew me in, and the performers successfully combined hip-hop movement and rhythm with needling stares and just the right amount of character.
Other points of note were Regeneration, choreographed by Blackstock and performed by Company of Elders. The movement and music were hip-hop, and the large company transitioned through many formations, bringing the space to life. To see such overt, honest fun onstage, and to feel the reaction from the audience to this energy, was invigorating. I was reminded that it doesn’t take tricks and choreographic intricacy to get an audience to engage; it just requires dancing from the heart and showing the audience that unashamed enjoyment.
From there, four pieces rounded off the first half of the night. Each piece had a very distinct voice and plot, which made their quick succession hard for me as an audience member to navigate and retain. Simeon Qsyea’s What does it mean to be Hip Hop? was a dance to spoken word, investigating the way dancers identify with hip-hop culture. Then Blackstock’s METH saw dancers writhing and pulsing in his portrayal of media dependency. Vice followed, by Ukweli Roach, telling a story about one man and his vices, which were portrayed by a skilful group of break dancers in black masks. Finally came BLK n GLD, Blackstock’s “visual extravaganza” that involved heavy bass, the manipulation of hand-held lighting, and a pop-and-locking human disco ball.
Each piece had undeniable fire, and there were many images that were very strong. I loved the section where Qsyea’s dancers investigate shoes and I felt the laces duet specifically was clever and unique. I also connected with the tribal, almost voodoo possessed vibe of METH. Roach’s Vice showed, for me, the most impressive timing and choreography, with intricate musicality and synchronicity. And who doesn’t love a clinking, sparkling, human disco ball costume?