Review

             My review on the performance “Beauty of The Beast” by company Chameleon

Personally I really enjoyed this performance, it appealed to me because it was a very modern piece.  I was able to understand the narrative based on male dynamics within groups and gangs, making the performance very accessible to me. The work was controversial highlighting the behaviour within gangs but not done so in an overwhelming way, I felt that they had a nice balance between comedy and narrative content.

 The fact that it was an all male dance company gave the performance a diverse range of dynamics as they were more masculine and strong which was interesting to see. Especially within the duet as in most cases it is a male and a female dancer. So in this case the dynamics complimented each other, giving it a refreshing feel of equal status. Also I liked the movement vocabulary as in one section the dancer was manipulating 2 other dancers in a way that represented them as dogs. This created strong imagery and it was made up of pulling and throwing each other giving a very rugged and intense performance. I felt that the change in narrative throughout the performance was represented clearly to the audience through the appropriate range of movements and dynamics used, as the first section used sharp dynamics and the end soft but some movements remained the same.

Lighting used enhanced the work and helped the audience understand what was going on for example in one section they used the disco balls to simulate a party , then in another they used darkness and isolated a part of light on a performer so we could focus on him . A point of interest was that the dancers also held the lighting during the final stage of the performance and it came across that they were witnessing the end of the narrative.

The accompaniment was very dark in places and this suited the narrative, I felt that if they only used classical music they would of struggled to of created the build up that they needed to compliment the performance. I liked that they included indie rock as again it made me want to engage with the performance, helping reveal the darker side of the narrative. The performance really pushes the boundaries with its comical elements and using different genres of music such as indie rock that is not often seen in the same light as contemporary dance, however is beginning to prove more popular as contemporary dance continues to evolve.

The performance is not for everyone and appeals to a niche audience however really pulls in its target audience. The only thing I would do to improve the performance, would be to show some sections for a longer duration so the audience can soak up that section of the narrative so nothing is lost. I also felt that an interval was needed so there are no distractions for the audience such as needing a drink.