The title of this blended invoice is spot on in relation to describing the total vary of Acosta Danza. Carlos Acosta’s Havana-based firm was at all times supposed to be many issues: a proudly Cuban outfit that would maintain its personal on the European touring circuit; a bunch of dancers comfy in each type from ballet to hip-hop to Cuban dance types; and a alternative of worldwide choreographers who aren’t simply the identical previous names.
In all that, Acosta Danza succeeds, and it’s at all times a pleasure to look at these dancers, even when the rep tonight doesn’t set the stage on fireplace. They've a transparent ardour for efficiency, nice power and presence; all very completely different our bodies, however more and more acquainted faces. Raúl Reinoso and Mario Sergio Elías, who've been with the corporate because it started in 2016 , each have sturdy solo moments, and the hanging Zeleidy Crespo arrives in Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Faun just like the tall stem of a chic bloom, strongly rooted even when the choreography buffets her physique in each route.
Faun is an impishly magical duet made in 2009 (impressed by Nijinsky’s L’Après-midi d’un Faune) and it has proved to have a protracted life, taking up new inflections with every set of dancers. Its power choreographically is in taking only one concept and one motion lexicon and absolutely exploring it, and that focus pays off the place different works could be extra roving and finally much less satisfying.
Not that there isn’t loads to get pleasure from and have interaction with elsewhere. Up and coming American choreographer Micaela Taylor will get each muscle in her dancers’ our bodies shifting in Efficiency, hitting every quaver beat with ingenious concepts. Spanish choreographer Juanjo Arqués tries to provide us an image of Cuba past the cliche in Portal, displaying a group certain in percussive grooves but in addition solo dancers in handheld highlight, below barely sinister scrutiny. And there are slick jazz-inspired strikes, set to spoken phrase (a translation would have been useful), in Goyo Montero’s Alrededor No Hay Nada, which has a component of vaudeville and considers energy dynamics. One thing for everybody.
On the Linbury theatre, Royal Opera Home, London, till 30 January
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