Manchester Theatre News & Reviews
REVIEW - São Paulo Dance Company are a delight to watch - fiery, passionate and sleek!
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On Tuesday, we went to The Lowry to see São Paulo Dance Company. Read what our reviewer, Lizzie Johnston thought about this wonderful evening of entertainment...
The São Paulo Dance Company took to the Lyric Theatre stage at The Lowry on Tuesday evening as part of their highly anticipated UK debut. In all honesty, I hadn’t heard much about the São Paulo Dance Company until their current tour, but from the promotional images alone, I knew we’d be in for a night of stunning contemporary dance - and that’s exactly what we got. Despite my lack of knowledge about the company, the theatre was rumbling with anticipated fans who were eager to see the dancers share their talent.
São Paulo is known to be one of Brazil’s finest dance companies, who fuse elegance and sensuality together using elements of classical ballet and traditional Latin American dance, creating sleek and high-quality performances. Choreographed by Goyo Montero, Nacho Ducato and Cassi Abranches, the programme of dances is rooted in Latin American and Spanish culture, and split into three acts, bringing a mix of vibrancy, technicality, and Afro-Brazilian rhythms to the stage. Each act flowed effortlessly, as the performers continued to move to create seamless transitions and merging each part together to complete a bigger routine.
The first act, choreographed by Goyo Montero, reflects on life cycles through a passionate routine, using a range of dynamics from quiet stillness to exploding energy. This bill is mostly a group number, when the dancers move together as one with incredible precision and fluidity.
The second part of the triple bill, Gnawa by Nacho Ducato, took influence from Valencia and its Mediterranean colours and flavour, merged together with the hypnotic music of North Africa.in this bill is a pas de deux, where two dancers took to the centre of the stage and blew everyone away in a performance that looked so technical yet so light and easy - a true sign of talent.
Cassi Abranches was the creative mind behind the third bill, choreographing a vibrant finale that explored timing and rhythm. The exhilarating final act saw the dancers sculpt their bodies to the groove of Afro-Brazilian tunes. This was my favourite in particular as I loved the sunset colours, the sharp movements to the beat of the music and the upbeat performance.
The troupe of 22 dancers had such fluidity between them, dancing beautifully whether it was as a group, duo or a solo moment. The performers were full of energy and passion, giving the audience a red-hot performance with a Latin edge.
The staging was extremely minimalist, using moody lighting and spotlights to create an atmosphere. This, along with the simple costumes, allowed the movements of the group to be the main focus and not get lost amongst a busy set. I particularly liked when the dim lights and smoke combined to create almost a blur, putting the choreography at the forefront and highlighting the talent of the dancers and how they act as one.
For those who appreciate and enjoy dance, São Paulo Dance Company is a real enlightening treat. The company embraces a range of techniques and takes inspiration from different Latin American and Spanish cultures to create a programme of unique and exhilarating performances.
The audience left in complete awe of the performers and their athletic power, they never once dropped their energy and made the whole show look effortless. The dancers are a delight to watch, and the company is quite frankly overloaded with exceptional talent - it’s fiery, passionate and sleek entertainment!
WE SCORE SAO PAULO DANCE COMPANY...
Sao Paulo Dance Company is on at The Lowry until Wednesday 13th March 2024.
