Review of ‘Les Noces – The Departure’: “Scarring allure”

The New Movement Collective company presents its latest creation, featuring a blend of classical and contemporary techniques in a new approach to some of the most influential works of the last century. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this experimental montage actually left him dancing on air.

I haven’t understood a bar of music in my life, but I have felt it. Stravinsky’s modernist spirit may have not felt too many kindred partners along its way, but certainly never left anyone indifferent. A visceral, almost catatonic force splashing on every of its stirring chords, hardly any other score can produce a sound so rich, powerful and moving, while at the same time being the exact opposite to what we’ve traditionally regarded as music. The beauty of its boisterous notes can hardly be defined through words – either written or simply thought. Instead, something more instinctive (even primeval) takes over, as the most rousing emotions climb up from our hearts and into our heads – enrapturing us, quite unapologetically, through the infectious energy that fuels its crude strength.

The ability of the Russian’s composer works to paint the most tangible pictures in our minds has been a subject of exploration for almost a century. From the rather controversial first performance of The Rite of Spring (there’s something poetic about making that comment at the venue where it had its London premiere) to some other more conventional approaches, his prolific list of creations (except for the ones that “accidentally” disappeared – look that up!) has attracted the attention of craftsmen of every kind – many of them, able to enhance and even refine the turbulent deluge that his genius poured through his discordant harmonies. Some of them, even superseding them.

New Movement Collective presented their latest proposal last weekend. A complex, exploratory melange of old and new, the production displayed, for a fast-pacing hour, a breathtaking showcase of technical flawlessness and artistic coup. Featuring an impressive troupe formed by a chamber orchestra (playing to beautifully orchestrated arrangements), a full choir, four soloist singers and two dance ensembles, this ambitious montage exceeded its own intentions by regaling us with something so refreshingly robust and engrossing, the rough emotions it was able to savagely carve in our hearts last Saturday are still running high – violent and ardent, and just as strange as the feels of Stravinsky’s dexterity, incredibly infatuating.

Starting with an instrumental and operatic preludes to the fiery turmoil that would suddenly unravel under the spotlight, the renditions were executed with the same soulful pizzazz as its dancing counterpart. The only blemish stems from its staging, which though designed as a buildup to the visual thunder that will strike right after, it still needs a more gripping input to match the engrossing eeriness of Andrea Balency’s film noirish piece, Bearn. That problem could be easily solved by conceiving a narrative with just the use of lighting – probably the weakest aspect of the production, since though appropriate, it fails to encapsulate the same level of fervor and storytelling as the rest of its components.

Both issues are radically shrunk as the first excerpts of Les Noces invade the room, with a masterfully outlined and implemented choreography that exudes passion and storytelling on every single movement. A compelling, grasping parade of aesthetics and drama, the dark enticement of its style brings out rage, warmth and delicacy through an intricately devised portrayal of ethereal humanity. The grand finale comes through a different homage to the same piece, this time unwrapping its rhythmic essence through a live beatbox interpreation by Jack Hobbs accompanied by the Chameleon Youth troupe, who despite not having achieved their full potential yet, their skills and future trajectory are more than established.

Very few times are we met with the chance of plunging ourselves into something completely transformative – enabling us to find new traits within us that we may have never known of before, but that pieces of true and innovative quality can help us discover, and even more importantly, embrace. With just some minor tweaks to be made and tons of brilliance to mesmerize us, and ultimately, enamour us with, New Movement Collective’s latest accomplishment is nothing but that: a whole triumph stating the strength of their virtuosity and the possibilities still to be spotted about reformed and reformatory art.

All pictures credit to New Movement Collective – Les Noces – The Departure © Photography by ASH.

Les Noces – The Departure was performed at London’s Woolwich Works on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 January. Upcoming projects by New Movement Collective are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara