Half Term- Critical Review of Dance Piece #1

The duet from ‘Infra’ choreographed by Wayne McGregor in 2008 was performed by The Royal Ballet. The word ‘Infra’ comes from the Latin word of ‘below’(Roh.org.uk, 2019), the stimulus is meant to show ‘emotions beneath the surface of human interaction’ and ‘explores the feelings we keep hidden from those around us’. Another stimulus was the 2007 London Bombings as people’s behaviour in London changed from being busy and ignoring people to showing a sense of empathy and care.(Spexe.org, 2016)

This idea is shown within the duet as there are instances of love and affection shown. For example, the male dancer kisses the female dancer’s hand, they are seen to be hugging and holding hands amongst the chaos of the choreography. This may suggest that love and happiness is always around even in the most chaotic and busy times, such as in London. This also establishes a romantic emotion and relationship between the dancers. The use of penchés and turns within the duet could suggest trust within their relationship as the male dancer portrays a supportive character. This could link to the idea of keeping feelings hidden for others as to the outside world these feelings and emotions between the dancers may not be shown, but behind closed doors there is a relationship which others don’t get to see. Furthermore, it suggests the feeling of empathy and care which were shown in London after the bombings as people would be helping each other and building trust after a tragic event.

The duet featured high energy lifts, extensions and turns while still creating a smooth flow of movements and transitions. The duet has a lot of partner work with contact but also the dancers spent time separated doing solo work. The whole body is used within the movement, a constant ripple of energy through every body part and transferred between the dancers which is effective at showing the intention of the piece as London is constantly busy and moving, like the dancers. The dancers seem to travel mostly on a linear pathway and don’t use too much space travelling side to side, it seems the focus is on the movement rather than using the space. On the other hand, in London there can be a lack of space, which would limit movement and the linear pathways may be representing pedestrians walking down the streets of London. The female dancer wears a nude, flesh coloured leotard with black shorts and pointe shoes and the male dancer wears a long sleeve top and shorts with bare feet, accentuating the form of the body and not restricting movement.

The background of the dance is a black wall with a bright light across the dancers which helps to highlight them against the dark wall and complement the costume. Additionally, it could also be implying and referencing London such as the London underground which is dark with bright lights from the train.

Overall, I really enjoyed the piece and found his choreography interesting and inspiring. The intention of the piece was clearly shown as the movement linked and represented the stimulus. I think the dancers could’ve spent more time apart in solo work although I can understand why there is a lot of partner and contact work, to emphasise the themes of the dance. I liked the repetition of leg extensions such as developés and penchés, also the element of risk taking within the pas de deux which added to the sense of tension and suspense. Moreover, I enjoyed the simplicity of the set and costume design.

Bibliography

Roh.org.uk. (2019). Infra — Productions — Royal Opera House. [online] Available at: https://www.roh.org.uk/productions/infra-by-wayne-mcgregor [Accessed 24 Oct. 2019].

Spexe.org. (2019). [online] Available at: https://www.spexe.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/InfraStudentResource.pdf [Accessed 24 Oct. 2019].