[Review] Phoenix Dance Theatre presents a triple bill, Belonging: Loss. Legacy. Love.

Phoenix Dance Theatre offers choreography by an all-male trio of choreographers in Belonging: Loss. Legacy. Love.

Opening the bill is Requiem (2023) by former Phoenix Artistic Director Dane Hurst. This is the loss aspect of the programme, using Mozart’s choral lament to push home the point.

In fact it’s only excerpts of a larger piece, so it’s difficult to make an informed decision. That said, it didn’t say loss to me, in the movement or the execution of it, and I’m unsure whether the Mozart needs such busyness… I’d suggest that a big, empty space with fabulous acoustics is more suited.

There’s committed, and good dancing, yet a lot of the piece still feels generic and empty.

Two strong moments stand out: a trio for three men showing impressive elevation and falls to the floor with zero inhibition, and a solo for a female dancer where things finally come together; the movement language connects with the work’s supposed intention. Elsewhere some of the cast should be careful with OTT facial contortions in order to emote.

Legacy is covered by Miguel Altunaga’s Cloudburst (2024), accessed through ancestry and how it shapes cultures and individuals, and as a work is equally riveting and confusing.

The piece starts and finishes with the presentation of a ceremonial bowl of sorts and then takes the observer to many different places.

The new score by David Preston is similarly baffling with elements that sound like static electricity, flapping wings and percussive, sub-saharan flavours, and the light design by Luke Haywood works ingeniously throughout to define short interludes and atmospheres of pandemonium.

As for Altunaga’s movement language… where to start. It’s a heady combo of urban vibes, rhythmic gesture and fem sass, though elements of contemporary dance fads are also present: convulsions, silent and audible screams, and pack mentality violence, which I find less interesting.

I don’t know anything of Altunaga’s choreographic work or ancestry, but I’m eager to find out, and see more. He’s undoubtedly touched a nerve in relation to the nonsensical behaviour of (some) culture and cultures, and the dancers are clearly lapping up his physical take on things.

The final work, Terms of Agreement (2024), is by Marcus Jarrell Willis, Phoenix’s current (and ninth in 43 years) artistic director. Love is the agenda and specifically some pointed questions concerning it: “what is true love? [and] once you have negotiated the terms, will you accept the agreement?”

I don’t feel these questions were answered, and in fact things got quite confused as the piece progressed.

Currently speaking Terms of Agreement isn’t the dramaturgical work I believe it wants to be – it’s more emotional baggage and some messy ménage à trois on display than anything profound.

Love is confusing, and dance theatre is hard to achieve, and there’s only one interlude where the euphoria and complexity of the subject matter starts to truly speak.

I struggle with the combination soundtrack of present day songs interspersed with personal, pre-recorded narrated prose. Fundamentally all feeling too busy to make any sort of real impact in practice.

The set of six tables with lights immersed in the surfaces bring intelligent, visual atmosphere to the proceedings, but the three sided formation also inhibits the dancers in relation to the movement scope they’re capable of.

The overall concept of the work has value, but needs further analysis and editing before it will start to properly find its feet, and even though the standard of the dancers can’t be questioned – for the entire evening – I also believe they’d benefit from some formal, drama coaching if Phoenix Dance Theatre wants to keep moving towards the subtle, verging on impossible genre of successful dance theatre, as the majority of the current interpretations veer towards obvious and clunky.

Matthew Paluch Guest Author

Matthew Paluch was awarded a place at The Royal Ballet School in 1990 where he graduated in 1997. His first four years as a professional dancer were spent working with London City Ballet, Scottish Ballet, K-Ballet and English National Ballet, becoming a full-time member of ENB until leaving in 2006.

Matthew graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance, Professional Dancers’ Teaching Diploma in 2007, and was formerly on faculty at The Royal Ballet School. He completed his Masters in Ballet Studies at Roehampton University in 2011, has been a freelance writer since 2010 and currently works in the Law Sector.

He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.