Dance and music seem to be perfectly connected. Whether it’s rap or Rachmaninov, trap or Tchaikovsky, people dancing just fits with music.
So you’d expect that Dystopian Dream, a marrying of Nitin Sawhney’s music and Honji Wang’s choreography would make for a dystopian delight. Sawhney’s work ranges from Hollywood soundtracks (he scored Warner Bros ‘Mowgli) to extensive collaboration with choreographers, like Akram Khan and Complicite. Wang has worked with the likes of Madonna and Rocio Molina. You’d expect this to be a fantastic fusion of futurism. Mostly.
Sawhney describes Dystopian Dream as like “the light at the end of an endless tunnel. We keep running but never move”. This is the pervasive theme of a brisk 1hr15 performance, examining futility, panic and nihilism. Wang’s dancers are endlessly running to stand still, trying to escape something behind them. Accompanied by Sawhney’s heavily percussive soundtrack, desperation and abandon are prominent themes.
Sebastien Ramirez performs the first section with some sort of beehive on his head, suggesting a kind of Underworld animal. Wang carries a kind of Pandora’s box, simultaneously offering and hiding it from the others. The dancers constantly shape and contort each other and themselves, creating a sense of contortion and deception.
The front section of the stage is bare, with a standard table and chairs set up. The rear section is composed of a slide and a raised level with ropes which the dancers occasionally attach themselves to, flying across the stage. There is something about ‘this world and the next’ going on, but it isn’t made explicit at any point. The most impressive aspect of the production is the extremely impressive light display, covering the stage with mortal birds, falling stepping stones and drowning oil. Even more impressive is the dancers’ total synchronicity with the projections, stepping in exactly the right spot to line up with the images at every moment.
Synchronicity, however, proves to be an issue for the production. The central concept is a collaboration between an album and a dance. This is a tried and tested structure, sometimes successful, sometimes not. Dystopian Dream is essentially composed of 15 tracks, padded out with dance. Or a dance piece, accompanied by 15 tracks. They just don’t fit together. It’s not that the musical style doesn’t compliment the dance. But in the 15 seconds between each song, we’re really just waiting for the next song to start, rather than focussing on the dance. Rather than complement, I feel the music and dance complicate each other.
Created from a concept originated by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Nitin Sawhney and co-devised with Honji Wang and Sébastien Ramirez, who perform and direct, Dystopian Dream is an exciting production combining choreography, live music and animated projections.
Review by Thomas Froy
An unprecedented dance-theatre realisation, Dystopian Dream marries Wang Ramirez’s unique style of choreography with Sawhney’s iconic composition to invoke a visual spectacle.
Dystopian Dream features costume design by Hussein Chalayan who previously created Gravity Fatigue and recently hosted a fashion show at Sadler’s Wells, animated projections by Nick Hillel, set design by Shizuka Hariu, lighting design by Natasha Chivers and live vocals performed throughout by Eva Stone.
Listing information:
UK PREMIERE
Nitin Sawhney / Sébastien Ramirez & Honji Wang
Dystopian Dream
Sadler’s Wells, EC1R 4TN
Tuesday 27 & Wednesday 28 November 2018
https://www.sadlerswells.com/
