Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Lewis Major: Triptych
House of Oz, Assembly Festival and Lewis Major present
Genre: classical, Contemporary, Dance
Venue: Assembly @ Dance Base
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
This entire programme of three pieces was very well received by the audience and is a wonderful showcase for Major’s company of dancers. The lighting design of this show is creative with some special instruments and lamps that are shown off at their best by creating unusual patterns on the stage area that fully complement the choreography and the visual storytelling.
Review
Lewis Major presents his company of dancers in a programme of three pieces choreographed by Major in collaboration with his mentor, the legendary Russell Maliphant OBE.
The themes of the three pieces range from various poetic possibilities, universal rhythms and cycles that are connections between internal and external worlds. The programme is full of movement and light!
The first piece starts with slow sustained movement with dancers standing in diamond shape pools of light. Reverberating sound and choreography is neatly timed to unusual arm and elbow punctuations as they bend and form distinctive tight angles. It’s fast and dramatic as each dancer does the same movement motif a second or two after the other creating a waterfall effect of movement. Stunning lights move across the wide stage in a linear fashion creating a unique 3D wall effect, which continues crossing and crossing and crossing. Watching this light display is infectious as we try o see how it starts and then very efficiently cuts across the floor.
The shadows and flickering light give way to dancers coming together and we glimpse their bodies partnering and transporting each other, it’s very atmospheric and otherworldly. The sound and turning lights lead us as we follow shadows of their bodies. The lights are turning and so are they – in this section strobe lights give a filmic look to the movement. It’s fascinating and excitedly dizzying! Are they avatars as in the underworld of a video game now as if on a treadmill of lights one then two are walking.
After a blackout and very short pause the second piece is a solo with a male dancer centre stage then traveling around the space, and for this reviewer it is the highlight of the show! This exceptional dancer has elastic shoulders and fluid movement, beautiful lines and presence. The choreography is creative, on different levels with beautiful turns performed in perfect control with outstanding movement quality.
The third and final piece is a curious solo with a female dancer that is full of surprises, no spoilers here! Set to plaintive and well known melodic classical music she is centre stage and begins her fascinating and graceful journey exploring the space in a circular pattern with innovative choreography and costume.
This entire programme of three pieces was very well received by the audience and is a wonderful showcase for Major’s company of dancers. The lighting design of this show is creative with some special instruments and lamps that are shown off at their best by creating unusual patterns on the stage area that fully complement the choreography and the visual storytelling.
