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Improvisation in sync

Last Updated 17 November 2014, 13:26 IST

A hush ran through the audience as the auditorium of Chowdiah Memorial Hall turned dark and five dancers of ‘Avant Garde Dance’ soundlessly crept on to the stage and merged with the shadows.

The London-based dance company, who strive to push the boundaries of hip-hop and contemporary dance, were in the City recently, where they showcased their mastery over the art in a show titled ‘The Black Album’.

Dressed in black, the performers moved with agility and ‘wow’ed the audience. It wasn’t long before all of them were covered in a fine layer of sweat from the rigorous workout. Each dancer moved and danced with untold synchronicity.

The 65-minute performance was divided into three parts: the first 25 minutes, called ‘Omega’, was a piece that consisted of five dancers, who improvised as five columns of light spotted them on the large stage. Experimental jazz and hip-hop music ran in the background as the dancers worked their way through the stage, emoting wordlessly.

The second piece was titled ‘Classical Break’ and was for a duration of 20 minutes. It was a humourous and cheeky partnership between break dance and ballet, between hip-hop and Beethoven, Mozart and Prokofiev. Three dancers, one after another, combined the different genres to make something elegant.

The dancers spun on their heads to Mozart’s popular symphony no. 41 in C major K. 551, while the crowd went ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’.

‘Dark Matter’, which was the third piece and for a duration of 20 minutes, was captivating and left the audience begging for more. It unleashed the inner darkness of the eight powerful dancers, who prowled the perimeter of the stage and played amongst the shadow, making you see and hear what you wouldn’t normally notice.

The dance group is known to use various styles, themes and media to convey their message.

With a mantra of ‘innovate never replicate’, the dynamic group tries their best to come up with newer styles and dance moves.

The eight dancers were well received by the audience, who hooted and whistled for the London-based dance crew throughout the night.

They were given a standing ovation at the end of the night. Parul said that although she did not understand some parts of the dance, she loved it.

“The dancers were so good and synchronised...and even though they were covered in sweat, they put on such a good show,” she adds.

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(Published 17 November 2014, 13:26 IST)

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