Review: NDCWales' PULSE, The Place

National Dance Company Wales has had a complicated decade, with much shuffling at the top and variety of Artistic Directors.

The company was originally called Diversions when founded (1983) and changed its name to National Dance Company Wales in 2009 after being awarded national status, and receives funding from the Arts Council of Wales.

Looking at their website it's clear they offer a huge amount of outreach within Wales, which surely makes a big impact. But what is dance in Wales? Welsh dance, Welsh talent etc. The double bill they presented doesn't feature Welsh choreographers - perhaps there are some waiting in the wings? And research suggests that only one out of the ten company dancers is Welsh. These things can take time - but they're 40 years in...

To the bill. It was definitely an evening of two halves and I'll start with the second - which was weaker for me. Say Something by Sarah Golding & Yukiko Masui (of the collective SAY) could be succinctly described as Uniqlo's most choreographic, elongated sportswear advert to date. However skilled some of the (group) choreographic structure may have been, it wasn't a successful piece.

The problem? I believe it lays in the difficulty of bringing Street dance into a theatre environment and keeping its inherent values. Golding & Masui definitely tried with their hip hop/contemporary dance fusion - but in general it fell short. And I'm afraid the dancers didn't help much either; they looked like well trained, contemporary dancers out of their comfort zone. Often innate, stylistic coordination was missing - as was the imperative swagger, which led to some uncomfortable viewing. And although the dance off vibe was evident, and the live beatboxing by MC Zani was skillful and reactive - overall, it didn't feel like a winning commission for this troupe.

The opening piece Waltz by Marcos Morau, was a different situation. Morau founded the Barcelona based collective La Veronal in 2005 which covers disciplines including dance, film, literature and photography. This is his second work for NDCW and it's simultaneously original and recurring.

Morau does a lot with a little production-wise; it's actually amazing what a bit of sparkle can do. The black, glittery backdrop was very Bethnal Green Working Men's Club vibes, and the cast of eight in Gimp suits of the same material screamed Kim Kardashian for Balenciaga at The 2021 Met Gala.

After a certain amount of introductory writhing that felt part Dante's Inferno/part Alien: Resurrection the piece settled into two clear sections. The first a centipede exploration of canon - which was initially intriguing, but went on for too long. And for the second, the Gimps revealed their heads, hands and feet and executed another overly lengthy investigation of Release-based intricate movement - mostly in unison with evident use of weight and audible floor contact. I found the movement language disconnected to the point of it being frustrating, but the execution can't be questioned. Most of the cast offered levels of articulation that you don't often see. Some even journeyed into the realm of expression with Aisha Naamani repeatedly catching the eye.

Considering the piece is called Waltz it lacked any suggestion of swing impetus choreographically. This would've been enjoyable, likewise more range of level and spatial inquiry.

Soundscape-wise it was a mash-up of breath, echo, background noises and weak melody somewhere far, far away. Original but also not that satisfying, and largely devoid of any tangible movement connectedness.

I envied the dancers at certain points, repeatedly thinking "what a mega gig" - getting to work in a troupe of ten and experiencing new commissions as a company. Their commitment levels suggest they aren't taking the opportunity for granted, and that kind of awareness only gives good things. I'm looking forward to the next London tour.

Pulse will be touring to 10 venues in Wales and England from March to May 2023

Photo Credit: Kirsten McTernan

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