Spanish contemporary dance company Aracaladanza specialises in shows for the young. The company invites you “to dream little sips of happiness with which we hope you enjoy fleeting moments of joy”.
More than sips at today’s performance of Clouds at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. I went with Eric and Ray (7): I didn’t tell them much about what the show would be, mainly because I myself wasn’t sure, but I did ask them what they thought we might see. Eric wanted to see if the lighting would be “so hot that it blows the clouds away”. Ray was expecting clouds made of “wool. They’ll probably come down from a hole in the ceiling.”
In the event, all manner of clouds were created. There were indeed some white woolly clouds, which sprouted legs and turned into sheep, but also paper clouds with human legs, balloon clouds in tulle nets which were whirled or worn like oversized modern tutus and (don’t try this at home) a huge zorb-like transparent polythene cloud. The clouds blow in with them a cast of six dancers, who are equally good solo or in combination, with the coordination particularly spectacular in the ‘dancing shadow’ sequence. There are giant apples, bowler hats, giant suited figures, miniature houses and shadows of all sizes.
Just as the clouds were fantastically varied, so was the music. A recorded soundtrack defied my expectation of overwhelmingly nebulous ambient sounds. Some of the music is pre-existing, including Simon Jeffes’s Perpetuum mobile, some specially created, and the show includes numbers ranging from boisterous minimalism through Latin and Swing to what was my favourite scene – a Baroque movement masterfully choreographed with the whole cast wearing flippers.