Review: LEÏLA KA AND CHRISTOS PAPADOPOULOS, Sadler’s Wells

The prizes continue at Sadler’s Wells with both a Bloom and Rose contender showing their work.

In the Lilian Baylis, Leïla Ka (France) presents Maldonne for the Bloom, a work where “five female dancers perform in forty different dresses.” The piece looks into the complexity of femininity; it does that and much more.

Ka's work is a fine example of the study of movement: choreography. We see minimal stillness develop into thrashing aggression, endless suspension collapse into sudden fall, breath used as both impetus and rhythm, and each framework is punctuated with dynamic and detail.

The cast of five do indeed change dresses often, and each new outfit seems to inform the flavour of movement. Floral dresses conjure distressed hand gestures suggesting the wiping away of tears and animal print takes things into a wild, raw direction - reminiscent of the unbridled female language of Martha Graham. We then experience a lip sync interlude which takes the emotional journey even further.

Elsewhere there's coquettish starlets and domestic fuelled mania. Throughout the choice of music and design feels both pared back and worthwhile, and the performances grow as the work does. Though they started out very strong no doubt.

If being very particular I'd propose two suggestions for future work. A little less unison would allow Ka's original phrasing to sing even more within the overall structure, and increased emphasis on leg work could add another dimension of movement all together. But the work is of huge interest, and absolutely worthy of recognition.

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In the main house, Christos Papadopoulos (Greece) presents LARSEN C for the Rose. Named after the Antarctic ice sheet which broke away in 2017, the work looks at changes and shifts.

The piece is a conflicting one; well at least for me. At an hour long, I spent probably the first 30 and last 10 minutes wanting to scream “this isn't going anywhere!”, but then the other 20 minutes I was definitely intrigued.

The whole experience is more style over substance. Dance as art installation, and I'm sure it works for many. I however kept wondering what the dance language i.e. choreography would look like without the dark, tastefully lit environment? Possibly not that strong.

Part Berlin club and electric eel-infested waters in feel, Papadopoulos definitely creates a charged environment - also largely down to some banging music provided by Giorgos Poulios - but the headless undulations and perpetual jitters didn't rock my dance language world.

The bemusing 20 minutes featured the best of the content. The cast of six floated around the space with a sense of magnetic connection and perpetual fluidity - like the dance version of a lava lamp. However, in the whole piece I don't think they jumped once and only let a foot leave the floor twice in a nonchalant low-ish kick. Why don't dance makers want to use the legs anymore?!

Papadopoulos definitely has a voice, and it's one that feels distinctive and sophisticated in its own way. But again it comes down to personal choice; I prefer a little more dance than step dig, step dig in a dance work.

Maldonne and LARSEN C show at Sadler’s Wells on 5 February

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