Review – São Paulo Dance Company at The Lowry

One of Brazil’s finest dance companies brought its dramatic triple bill to The Lowry Theatre this week.

I was unsure what to expect whilst I sat in my seat, full of anticipation waiting for the curtain to open. But once the dancers graced the stage, I was immediately taken by the dancer’s captivating movements.

Sao Paulo Dance Company have created a complicated fusion of classical ballet and Latin American dance using a group of 22 dancers on stage.

The UK tour of this three part dance has been a long time in the making however I think a lot of the crowd in the theatre would agree it was worth the wait.

Spanish choreographer Goyo Montero kick-started the performance with Anthem, which is a powerful, storytelling dance that portrays life cycles and different collectives.

During the intense opening section, I found the dancers moved their bodies in liquid-like ways, with strong explosive movement on occasion. It was memorising to watch.

One thing that stood out to me in particular was the costume choice. All of the dancers were wearing white bottoms, either trousers or shorts, and everyone was topless only wearing discreet covers on explicit areas. The simplicity and rawness of the costumes took away from any other distractions and really made the audience focus on the dramatic dancing itself.

There is a fascinating amount of togetherness that you feel from watching this group of dancers. They move around the stage in constant unison, with daring lifts and synchronised sequences. This piece is a reflection on life, both the collectiveness and conflict within it.

In the second piece, choreographer Nacho Duato brings us Gnawa. This part of the performance brings Mediterranean fire. It is a sensual dance.

There was a tribal drumming playing throughout, but sometimes there were only sounds of water dripping. This dance tells a story of the Gnawa people who were made to move to North Africa as slaves.

The girls had changed costumes this time. They were now wearing long flowy black dresses. The heat was brought up a few levels in this performance; you could feel the drama within the quick and strong tempo.

One section that really stood out for me was when the dancers were all holding candles. They then began to dance in candlelight; I thought this was beautiful to watch.

Finally, Brazilian choreographer Cassi Abranches brought a change of scene to the stage with a flirtatious finale. The dancers had completely changed costumes and were now wearing bright orange and red clothes.

There was a new level of energy within this performance. With a far more upbeat tune consisting of percussion and bass beats.

Synchronisation was particularly noticeable in this section. All the dancers were moving their bodies at the same time to the groovy music. Repetition of the same movements also stood out to me. One part I particularly enjoyed was the very beginning and end of this part, the dancers were swaying their bodies side to side as the curtains opened, almost like a ticking clock, with sudden beats playing as they moved. Then at the end they repeated the same thing. I thought this was a lovely full circle moment to end the evening show.

Overall I think this was a fantastic show. The amount of hard work and commitment the dancers, choreographers and everyone involved put into the show reflected on the standard of the performance. It did a great job of telling powerful important stories as well as just showcasing the art of dance.