After a lengthy pandemic-induced delay, Sadler's Wells finally unveils its highly anticipated Composer series, presenting a captivating evening of new choreography set exclusively to the work of American composer Nico Muhly. The programme, titled Marking Time, proves well worth the five-year wait, showcasing three distinct choreographic voices interpreting Muhly's richly textured scores.
Three Choreographic Visions
The night features works by Jules Cunningham, Maud Le Pladec, and Michael Keegan-Dolan, each bringing radically different approaches to Muhly's music. The first two choreographers demonstrate methods that closely engage with the intricate soundscapes, while the third delivers a theatrical coup.
Meditative Precision and Eerie Glamour
Jules Cunningham's Slant finds its foundation in Muhly's Drones, a composition built upon sustained string notes that create an atmosphere of suspension. Cunningham's stark movement vocabulary, characterised by flat planes and improbable balances, transforms this musical backdrop into something mysterious and unresolved. The six-strong cast includes two children and the remarkable Ellen van Schuylenburch, whose extensive experience dancing with Michael Clark in the 1980s brings profound depth and mettle to the performance.
Maud Le Pladec's Veins of Water presents three dancers in sheer shorts and glittery tops, their appearance suggesting a forgotten costume element. Their jellyfish-like, slinky movements mirror wavy string motifs and sequined waves, creating an eerie glamour reminiscent of a 1960s alien girl group. The performers maintain direct eye contact with the audience throughout, shifting between being enmeshed with Muhly's score and forging their own independent path in a truly beguiling display.
Pure Theatrical Magic
Just as the audience settles into one choreographic approach, Michael Keegan-Dolan dramatically upends expectations with The Only Tune. This piece creates an entirely different world where American folk singer Sam Amidon stands on a stool beneath a hanging noose, while dancers costumed as skeletons perform jazz hands.
Muhly originally composed The Only Tune for Amidon in 2007, basing it on the Scots murder ballad The Two Sisters. The performance features the Britten Sinfonia, also dressed as skeletons, who stretch and blur the simple folk tune, vividly colouring its edges. Amid the controlled madness, Amidon remains a still, constant presence, resulting in what can only be described as pure theatre—a work with a beating heart, an arched brow, and a wicked glint in its eye.
Marking Time continues at Sadler's Wells, London until 22 November, offering London audiences a long-awaited but brilliantly executed exploration of the dynamic relationship between contemporary composition and choreography.
