Review: JV2, Sadler's Wells Theatre

Bodies fly everywhere and the endurance of the human body is tested in this explosive triple brill brought by Jasmin Vardimon, in collaboration with Yunkyung Song and André Rebelo.

Now in its sixth year, JV2 places focus on the nurturing of emerging dance talent, inviting them to work together with commissioned choreographers to create exhilarating new work. This has resulted in an explosive evening of highly watchable entertainment.

Starting off the night is You are You, created by Yunkyung Song. A tree is planted, watered and taken care for. We see roots develop and spirit-like creatures emerge. There's a spot of drag, lots of gymnastics and movement sequences that move at a rapid-fire pace.

Blazing Dust by André Rebelo sees a phoenix manifest from the ashes, burning bright above the ensemble. Delicately moving around the stage, the start of the piece is initially peaceful, before becoming increasingly distressing. Bodies are manipulated, thrown about wildly and burnt to a crisp.

(In between) is the final piece on show, created by Jasmin Vardimon herself. Originally premiering in 2013, the content looks at themes of greed, power and ecology - echoing the relationships between humans and our natural environment. This one isn't as physically chaotic, but impressive nonetheless.

My only slight niggle is that the quality of acting doesn't always match up to the high-level dance ability. However, ultimately what you're presented with is a night that's truly different to anything else on right now.

Everything about this event is tailored to showcase the extraordinary young talent that exists within the company. It's a stellar production that demonstrates how impactful the body can be within performance. It won't be to everyone's taste, but for those that enjoy dance-led theatre, this is at the top end for quality.

JV2 ran at Sadlers Wells Theatre until 28 May

Photo credit: Bill Knight

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