The São Paulo Dance Company have performed at London's Sadler’s Wells for the first time in their 16-year history in a sizzling hot triple bill. Let’s get straight to the point: they are beautiful, charismatic and dance with verve and tenacity. I’m not sure if it was the rippling torsos, the seductive hips, the high octane energy levels or the sheer brilliance of their technique, but the first night audience, myself included, was instantly smitten.
Artistic Director Inês Bogéa selected three works by well-known choreographers, that built cleverly to a feverish climax. If the vocabulary was consistent and often familiar, the delivery was full of surprising developments and at the very least, by the third piece, was drawing audible gasps.
Goyo Montero’s Anthem was the opener. His increasing international popularity meant that expectations were high. He did not disappoint. With music by Owen Belton, the songs and themes sound like chants. The mood was, at first, serious, the stage flooded with dancers moving, quivering, gathering momentum. They broke out of the group, sometimes as a couple, sometimes as a solo dancer.
A pair come together (Joca Antunes and Luiza Yuk) and had a danced conversation, there was tension between them. A solo man, Yoshi Suzuki, moved like quicksilver – possibly the outsider of the community. There was a moment when they all stood to attention and appeared to sing, a reference to the title. They were at their best when they moved collectively, as if they were a flock of birds, congregating together.
Lights descended from the flies and it started to feel like this was another world, in outer space. Screaming and shouting ensued and all the while the dance continued at pace. It felt almost apocalyptic and eerie. The dancing was sublime.
Nacho Duato’s Gnawa was next on the programme. Described as a work influenced by the music of North Africa, this too was very ritualistic. Again, I was struck by the synchronicity of the dancers, the innate sense of rhythm that resonates in every space on the stage. With the majority of the cast in either cream trousers for the men or black dresses for the women, one couple was dressed in flesh coloured trousers and unitard. Their duets were slick, travelling at speed and with fluidity.
There was also a ceremonial element to the piece. At one point the dancers carried small lamps and brought them to the front of the stage. As they moved to the back in a cluster, and in a surprise and effective ending, the woman in flesh was lifted skywards, as if reaching out to a higher being.
It was Cassi Abranches’ Agora that made the biggest impression. Set to a racing score by Sebastian Piracés, the music alone was enough to raise the temperature. Combined with some of the most tantalisingly alluring dancing and dancers and it was a surefire winner. With hints of jazz and rock there was much to enjoy and admire.
It started with the tick-tock of a metronome and minimal hip movements. The stage was quickly gyrating and slinking in a most provocative manner. Very early on, one woman took a fearless flying leap at her partner. We are used to watching this kind of move in classical ballet facing forward, but this was feet first and from quite a distance. The audience reacted with a sharp intake of breath, en masse. Even more extraordinary was that this was repeated by the entire cast, none of them visibly flinching from their daredevil antics.
Suzuki once more traversed around the stage with a lightning dash and Nielson Souza, a magnetic personality, elegantly negotiated his moves, somehow appearing cool whilst exerting an enormous amount of energy. As if to calm us down, as much as close the ballet, the curtain came down to the resumption of the metronome.
The company received a vociferous and enthusiastic reaction from the audience which I hope bodes well for a very swift return. If you’re in need of some joy and exhilaration, the São Paulo Dance Company offers the perfect solution.
