Reich

There's a host of performances going on at the moment to celebrate minimalist composer Steve Reich's 70th birthday, including tonight's dance outing. The programme consisted of two sections from Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker's Fase, a new work by the Richard Alston Dance Company, and another one by Akram Kahn.

Fase is something like 20 years old, a piece of ferocious precision that manages to find a more-or-less perfect choreographic analogue for the painstaking difficulty of Reich's music. Hypnotically repetitive and utterly brilliant, it is a compelling masterpiece even when, as here, only partially presented. That Anne Teresa still performs in it herself is an extraordinary testament to her strengths as a dancer and to the choreography's own irresistible drive. It is a taxing work for both performers and audience, but wonderfully worthwhile too.

The Richard Alston, by contrast, was the runt of the litter by a very wide margin, fluid and pretty but fundamentally pointless at every turn. Its balletic movement made little contact with the form or content of the music, and failed to hang together in any meaningful way. It seemed, despite excellent performances, like no end of terrible old hat. Dreary and shapeless, the dance had nothing to say to any audience, least of all one with any knowledge of Steve Reich.

The final piece, by Akram Kahn, was altogether different: artful, intense and focussed, identifying very clearly with the live music, even drawing the conductor into its choreography. The influence of C de la B's Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui -- with whom Kahn collaborated on Zero Degrees -- was noticeable, I thought, but regardless of that the dance was a triumph, both crowd-pleasing and lovingly attuned to Reich's music. It lacked the austerity and rigor of the Rosas piece, but was pretty much faultless on its own terms.

All three dances were pretty much as abstract as last week's Merce Cunningham outing, but the difference in watchability was immeasurable. Patrick, I hope you enjoy your version of the same evening, especially since you'll be spared the tiresome Alston farrago.

My companions for the evening, by the way, included college colleague Ros from back in the 1980s and her composer boyfriend Laurence Crane, whose Reich expertise we made sure to take advantage of in the intervals.

Yes, yes, whatever. More studenty material will follow. Eventually.
Posted by matt at October 1, 2006 12:02 AM