Rambert: Ghost Dances Review

Just finished another piece; this image is the raw paper pulp form though with a bit more work needed yet. When it was all done there was another colour in there as well. The purple works pretty well on its own but the green and subsequent cream pulp gives a smoother finish so I tend to use it for the final 'cleaning up' of outlines. I quite like the look of this so I might do a piece that just uses different colours of pulp and leave it unpainted. The finished piece is in the Dance gallery now.

Have a bunch of armatures ready for new pieces. I'm working on developing more fluidity, expressiveness and movement in pieces. For a bit of research, last night, I went to Woking to watch Rambert's Ghost Dances. I'd seen images of the 'ghost men' and loved the make up so thought it could be worth a watch. While I didn't get much out of the opening set piece, the second; which had all the dancers in burgundy, was very nicely done but the real zinger was the ghost men. Their whole look, the music and the choreography came together to create a wonderful atmospheric piece, with many wonderful, dynamic, buoyant leaps.

I was a bit confused to find there was actually a second piece on the bill (which I hadn't spotted in the promo leaflet) so seeing A Linha Curva was a bonus. Requiring spot on timing throughout from the dancers and put together with the geometric floor lighting, live percussion and vocals (I could see them in the orchestra pit - terrific job keeping the pace and rhythm going for the duration), this was a boisterous, highly energetic piece and included a fun part where dancers swam backstroke at speed across the stage on what looked like skateboards. I was scribbling notes and stick people during intervals in an attempt to pick out shapes or use of arms which could be adapted for sculptures.

Considering I've been living near London for nearly three years, I haven't managed to go and see any dance performances. Mostly that's due to lack of time or funds but next month I'm seeing Akram Khan's Giselle at the cinema so I need to keep an eye out for things like that, not being much of a fan of the 'fluffy skirts' kind of classical ballet!