In the programme notes he describes his relationship with ballet as ‘complicated’. He was thrown out of ballet school more than once before finally returning to complete his training. But while this time in his life could be considered a ‘car crash’ to some, it is something for which he is now grateful. For although a ‘square peg in a round hole’ it was here that he began to create work, telling stories without words, and finding a new space that sits as a combination of dance, music and theatre.

He created MÁM in 2019 when it was nominated for an Olivier Award after enjoying sellout performances at Sadler’s Wells and has performed at festivals worldwide. However, this 9-date tour for Dance Consortium is the first time regional UK audiences have had the chance to see it.

The inspiration from the show comes from the landscapes, myths and people of Kerry on the southwest coast of Ireland. It is also infused with the music of the region. Concertina player Cormac Begley takes centre stage throughout and part-way through the piece a curtain falls to reveal Stargaze, a European classical contemporary collective, playing live.

The show opens with Cormac, wearing a ram’s head mask, sat facing a young girl on a huge wooden table. Shortly after there are some disorienting lights and the company’s 12 dancers appear all dressed in black as if at a funeral also wearing frightening masks.

Set in what looks like a community hall, this scene is a strange mix of the otherworldly and the familiar. If science-fiction dance is a thing, this could be it.

It is an intense and sometimes uncomfortable watch as the child is shouted at, or squashed between adults partying, smoking, watching TV – generally dancing to their own beat. Many of the moves give the appearance that the audience could join in, giving an immersive sense that we are watching real people in these dancer’s characters.

Each time we think we know what is happening, Sabine Dargent’s set design strips layers back to reveal something new, leading to the final scene where giant fans blow the audience away in every sense of the word.

The lights go up to huge cheers and a spontaneous standing ovation. It certainly isn’t the easiest of watches but the Lowry audience absolutely loved it.

Dance Consortium presents MÁM is at Lowry, Salford on 3 and 4 February 2026 before continuing on its 9 date tour.

The post Dance Consortium presents MÁM – Review appeared first on Quays Life.

It starts with the rhythmic banging of a drum resembling a heartbeat as the dancers, huddled together pulse as one. From this life-force the dancers emerge as individuals, all appearing to do their own thing in a burst of energy and fluorescent-coloured costumes. It feels like we are watching a riotous street festival, complete with city soundscapes.

Choreographer Qudus Onikeku says his show aims to capture ‘the energy of Lagos, the vibrancy, the youthfulness, the craziness, the madness, the beauty, the ugliness’. The result feels like we have been thrust into a bustling centre which is almost an assault on the senses, leaving little space to bring our own emotions to the piece.

The rawness of the moves gives a new meaning to the term ‘dirty dancing’ as couples simulate sex on stage before a loud, screaming birth scene. Equally there are some violent outbursts, with a beaten man left writhing on the floor as others discard their clothing over him.

The show fuses Nigeria’s modern-day youthfulness with ancient philosophies of the Yoruba people. It is split into three parts representing the circle of life – birth, death and rebirth. Each section is marked visually with backstage projections, but they run simultaneously with no interval. As such, it is a challenge both for the 10-strong dance troupe and the audience to maintain the burst of energy experienced at the start. But perhaps these lulls are intentional as part of the ebb and flow of life.

Towards the end of the death scene, the energy lifts again with a moving spoken word section where a dancer recites old Yoruba proverbs while being smeared in a silvery, black body paint. The paint absorbs and reflects the stage lighting, creating some psychedelic effects.

Two live on-stage musicians, Simeon Promise Lawrence and Daniel Ifeanyi Anumudu create an absorbing sound-track and bring coherence to the whole piece. There is also a rounded feel to the choreography that returns at the end to the high energy with which it starts – the dancers moving so quickly their legs could be on vibration plates.

It could end here with uplifting exhuberance, but the finale is much quieter, almost inviting contemplation. As the dancers disappear towards the back of the stage there is finally space to absorb what we’ve just experienced – now it is the crowd’s turn to go wild. And they do.

Dance Consortium brings The QDance Company’s Re:INCARNATION to The Lowry, Salford on Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 October 2024.

Read our interview with choreographer Qudus Onikeku.

The post QDance Company’s Re:INCARNATION: Dance Review appeared first on Quays Life.

The original ballet, which premiered in Paris in 1841, tells the story of innocent peasant girl Giselle who falls in love with the disguised nobleman, Albrecht. When she discovers the truth about her lover and that he will never be hers, Giselle is consumed with grief and dies of a broken heart. When a remorseful Albrecht visits Giselle’s grave, he evokes the wrath of the Wilis (the spirits of girls who have been betrayed in love) and they exact a heavy penance.

Masilo, whose reinterpretations of other classics including Romeo and Juliet, Carmen and Swan Lake built her an international reputation, felt driven to create a new Giselle.

“It’s the challenge of looking at the ballet from a different perspective and dealing with issues that are relevant now. In these stories we are dealing with power struggles, war, greed, domestic violence, rape. These are things I see every day. I’m revisiting the classical ballets to tackle these issues and to start a dialogue with people. To ask ‘what are we doing about this?’

“I begin with study of the original work. It’s important to know the rules before breaking them. In the traditional ballet there is a clear narrative but the characters are rather two-dimensional. The emphasis is on the steps rather than on the unique psychologies of the protagonists – Albrecht and Hilarion seem just there to support the female lead, Giselle’s mad scene relies on messy hair…. I wanted to go much deeper and, most importantly, to create Wilis that are really vicious.

“I have always been intrigued by the Wilis. That’s where I started. I wanted to see how far I could push the boundaries in terms of having Wilis that are strong, powerful and dangerous.

“In the ballet they all female, dressed in white and very graceful. I wanted to find their violence because Act Two is about revenge. I dressed my Wilis in wine-red, as though they are drenched in blood. This reflects revenge, killing and death.”
In the original Giselle the Wilis are the spirits of wronged women. In Masilo’s version they are both female and male.

“I love working with androgyny, it creates an interesting dynamic,” she says. “It’s also about breaking down the gender stereotypes – the notion that men are supposed to do this and women are supposed to do that. In dance, that is the norm.

“The Wilis are spirits so could be either male or female. I wanted to alter the concept that only women are victims. Men also get heart-broken.

“It seems to me that in ballet the men are basically there to lift and support the women. I think it’s time we find gender equality in dance.”

Masilo’s Giselle has been seen to reflect the #metoo movement in which women worldwide have spoken out about sexual discrimination and the abuse of male power.

Masilo says this is a coincidence as her Giselle premiered prior to the movement. “I did aim to make a work which empowers women who are expected to be understanding, soft, tolerant and forgiving.

“It’s also very good for us to acknowledge that we are strong and powerful – and to use that power to say ‘I’m not going to take that, enough is enough’. Women need to stand up for themselves more. We are living in a world where men tend to rule and we shy away from our own power. As a woman, and having been brought up by very strong women, I want to share this.”

In addition to shifting the story’s time and characters, Masilo also changes location.
“I’ve set it in rural South Africa so we are dealing with different cultures and traditions. It’s about how people interact, how relationships are formed and the dynamics of those relationships in rural South Africa which is completely different from the world of classical ballet,” she says.

“I did not consciously set out to ‘Africanize’ Giselle. It is just there. I am South African – this is where my roots are. My origins and environment infuse my work. I have also studied classical ballet. It’s about allowing the two to merge without losing the essence of the work.”

For the music, Dada commissioned fellow South African Philip Miller to compose a new score, revisiting some of the original themes by Adolphe Adam, together with newly created music.

“I love what he did,” she says. “You hear themes from the original throughout. Philip incorporates this with African percussion, rhythm and voice.

“Generally people who have not been exposed to ballet, its codes and mimetic gestures, tend to avoid it. This is also true in South Africa. My aim is to make it accessible. It is called Giselle but tells a story to which everyone can relate without alienating those who are familiar with the ballet.”

Dada Masilo trained at The Dance Factory in Johannesburg from the age of 11 and at the age of 19 was selected from nearly 800 other dancers to gain one of just 30 places at the Performing Arts Research and Training Studio in Brussels. This is where she began to choreograph.

“I didn’t want to be a choreographer – I thought it would be too much work!” she laughs. “I always say ‘first I’m a dancer’. I choreograph works that I want to dance. It’s what I do and love. Sharing through dance, we learn new things every day.

“It is challenging being both choreographer and dancer because I can’t always see everything. Once I have established my intention, I bring in someone I trust to be that outside eye and to give me notes on what I’m doing. I don’t think I could just choreograph – I need to be in it to feel it.”

Masilo premiered Giselle in Oslo more than two years ago and it has toured extensively. It will celebrate its 100th performance when it opens at London’s Sadler’s Wells on October 4. This UK premiere will be followed by performances in Nottingham, Bradford, Birmingham, Salford, Milton Keynes, Brighton and Canterbury.

The tour is presented by Dance Consortium, a group of 20 venues who work together to promote international contemporary dance across the United Kingdom.

“Working with Dance Consortium has been great,” says Dada. “So far, we have only performed at Sadler’s Wells in London, with Swan Lake in June 2015, so for the company, the tour is wonderful exposure across the UK. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity.”

And she hopes the audience will also enjoy the opportunity to see her work.
“I never take audiences for granted. We just do our best work and hope the audience responds. I hope they can feel whatever they feel, whether it is joy, pain, love or anger. I want people to ask questions and to feel emotion – any emotion. And then sit down and talk about Giselle. I do not see art as just entertainment. It is there to teach, inspire and provoke.”

Dance Consortium presents Dada Masilo – Giselle is touring the UK from 4 October – 2 November 2019.

Read our review of Dada Masilo – Giselle at The Lowry.

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