Review: Deciphers by Jean Abreu and Naishi Wang – not of any great interest

Deciphers by Jean Abreu and Naishi Wang was quite difficult to decipher…and we could leave it there. The blurb was full of all manner of proposals, but I personally saw none of it in the work. Does art have to be literal? Absolutely not. But if you’re doing abstract/random, just own it.

We were promised “communication, connection, and identity”. Identity, perhaps; both Abreu and Wang have a strong presence. Communication? Nothing in a profound way, but there was a section of gibberish-feel monologues in Portuguese and Mandarin (I believe). Connection? The start of the work had elements of embrace and resistive partnering, but individual tangents seemed to outshine any sense of connection on a deeper level.

Said tangents are where the two artists came into their own. Here we were able to appreciate them as movers – swift, deft and encompassing, they know how to envelope space – yet what they were actually doing wasn’t of any great interest, it was just done well.

As we entered the space, Abreu and Wang were working on a collage on the floor. Soon it was lifted and then crumpled in slow motion. It reentered later in the piece and took pride of place centrestage, then two short fluorescent tube lights were added to complete the installation.

I describe this moment as a way to try and understand how the larger piece read to the audience. Personally, I found it more self-aware art installation than genuine dance piece – and this doesn’t sit well.

It’s important to explore and take risks. But makers also need to analyse what they’re actually saying and whether it’s communicating through and beyond the work. The Coronet as a venue is bold and brave, so it’s inevitable that some programmes won’t hit the mark. When this is the case, one needs to move on quickly but also take stock as to why and ideally not make the same mistake again. Yes to exploration – YES to learning.

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.