Review: VAMOS CUBA, Birmingham Hippodrome, 1 November 2016

An exciting new partnership between Sadler's Wells, Birmingham Hippodrome and the Lowry Salford is bringing international dance companies to the UK for the very first time, offering financial and creative support to artists who may not otherwise have been able to make the journey. Vamos Cuba, from the creators of Havana Rakatan, is one such production.

A pre-show presentation from Birmingham Hippodrome Chief Executive Fiona Allan reveals the challenges of producing a show in Cuba. The set was cobbled together from reclaimed wood, designers had to travel abroad to purchase material for the costumes and, due to the low internet bandwidth in Cuba, a memory stick of production photographs was entrusted to a Virgin Atlantic employee on their way to London.

Vamos Cuba is an explosive new dance production which frames traditional and contemporary Latin dance (bolero, cha cha cha, guaracha, mambo and rumba) within the setting of Havana airport, exploring the interlinking lives of a delayed group of passengers.

The dance sections are completely mesmerising, performed at tremendous speed with swaying hips, rippling torsos and pinpoint accurate footwork. The company are equally at home in the more urban, contemporary numbers and traditional, folk sections inspired by the rich history of Cuba. Accompanied by the outstanding live band, these tremendously energetic and athletic dancers create a celebratory atmosphere which transports the audience to the streets of Havana.

Unfortunately, the relationship between the dance and airport-themed story is often disparate and unsophisticated. Rather than the choreography itself conveying the narrative, Vamos Cuba is punctuated throughout by muddled scenes of action, the dancers gesticulating wildly and performing over-exaggerated mime. The various characters - a captain, an air hostess, a photographer and an actress among them - consistently fall into basic stereotypes.

In order for Vamos Cuba to really evoke the story of a country of the brink of change, treading the delicate line between a controversial history and an uncertain new future, the relationship between dance and story needs to be reaffirmed so that the two different elements are intrinsically linked.

As a result of the stereotypical characters within the production, Vamos Cuba at times offers a troubling representation of women. The female characters are often objectified, chased across the stage and their bodies looked up and down by male eyes. During one section in which the characters become intoxicated, it is suggested that men lifting skirts and harassing women is a completely natural and accepted part of a drunken party, punishable by a small, playful slap.

Vamos Cuba is at its strongest when the dance and story are performed in perfect harmony, especially during stunning contemporary duet between the airport porter and a young female doctor, who instantly fall in love. Spontaneous tripping steps suddenly burst into soaring, athletic lifts, interspersed with tender moments of still embrace.

The joyous party atmosphere, dynamic dancers and amazing live singing and music make Vamos Cuba an exciting and feel-good night out. However, by the strengthening the bond between dance and story, this dance show has potential to become a ground-breaking and powerful exploration of Cuban culture.

Vamos Cuba is at Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 5 November.

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