It was contemporary Classique and it was awakening as it was interesting, from the soft and poignant movements in the choreography of the piece ‘Life’ to the bittersweet arrogance of ‘Man’s World’.
The steps of just a few dancers in a single item were enough to evoke gut-wrenching emotions as in the piece ‘Life’ as the dancers journeyed along an exciting, at times confusing and often cruel path.
Life can be chaotic, brutal, fun, baffling and so many others things — just ask Classique or rather watch Classique. This particular item on the programme was so good that it did not seem to matter that the dancers had pulled if off just as flawlessly a few years ago when celebrated Barbadian choreographer Ian Douglas magically put it together for the local dance buffs.
‘Pitch Black Tempo’ was Classique’s redemption as they fought to patch an image that had been blown up after the riveting (still unmatched) ‘Zig-Zag’ and torn down by the less inspiring ‘Edge’.
But it’s official. Classique is the most consistent and daringly good company that we have performing currently. Whether its dancers are all technically good and as synchronized as they should be is another matter.
But they are disciplined, focused, strong and absolutely fascinating to watch. Pitch Black Tempo was the feel-good kind of dance show that has been absent from the local stage for some time now.
Numbers are not a testimony to the quality of their shows, but it counts for something that Classique has comfortably slipped into that place where any of its shows can sell out the National Cultural Centre. On Monday night (Caricom Day) there could have only been a handful of empty seats.
Pitch Black Tempo was Classique in full contemporary and what a production it was. The opening dances flowed beautifully offering up pieces tinged with an ethnic flavour and in two instances, religious.
But the real upbeat moment started when the dancers broke into a slow and sexually-charged piece titled, ‘Make-Up’. There was innocence and love and heartbreak and certainly, make-ups, but it was all so beautiful to watch.
The bedroom feel of the stage setting and the lighting silhouette electrified the playful moments on stage and the building chemistry between dancers, Leslyn Lashley and Ivor Williams.
But it was the individual and deeply personal dances within the number by Paul Charles and Travis Bowen that jolted the audience into frenzy.
Then came the brash ‘Man’s World’ and there is just something about the hips of those male Classique dancers that commands and duly receives the admiration of the largely female audience. As the all-male group moved to the beats of the number on stage they had the NCC going crazy with regular screams of, “yeah baby” punctuating the deafening atmosphere.
The temperature started to rise for the second half of the show which saw the dancers bringing the popular sounds of Trinidadian Kenrick (Radica Invasion” Salik and the US group Black Eyed Peas to the stage in an interesting way. This was the aptly titled, ‘Tempo’ half of the show and it certainly was — the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow” inclusion was different and exciting as was the hot chutney interpretation of Salik’s “Radica”.
It must be said that Ronella Woseley is emerging as Classique’s standout performer, bringing a beauty and intensity to the numbers that propelled dancers Paul Charles and Travis Bowen into the spotlight.
The most genuine and arousing dance came close to the end of the show when the production paid tribute to celebrated musician and entertainer Michael Jackson who passed recently. It was a raw moment as they interpreted in dance his poignant and timeless number, “Childhood”.
The curious, lonely, painful but largely appealing childhood that Jackson had was beautifully and effortlessly captured by Classique. It was such an affecting moment it was as if the dancers were not even there and this tragic story was just somehow being played on that stage. The fact that Classique only choreographed the number a few days earlier says a lot about the intensity and strength of its dancers.
There were the few moments of rambunctious dance when some humour and a large amount of playfulness were injected into the performances. The dancehall routines were usually received as were the infrequent song numbers. At one point of the show it appeared as if local singer, Charmaine Blackman was upstaging the production itself with her over-the-top rendition of Jackson’s “Earth Song”.
But Classique delivered as promised unveiling yet another solid production and cementing its status as the raging dance buffs on any stage, anywhere and anytime in this country.
