Visionary choreographer Wayne McGregor has once again pushed the boundaries of contemporary dance with his latest production, Infinite Bodies, a breathtaking exploration of quantum physics and the tantalising concept of parallel worlds. This ambitious work unfolds across two of London's most distinctive venues, creating an immersive experience that challenges both performers and audiences alike.
A Journey Through Dual Realities
The production begins at Somerset House's historic courtyard, where dancers emerge like spectral figures in the twilight. McGregor's signature hyper-articulate movement vocabulary takes on new dimensions as bodies seem to phase between different states of being. The choreography masterfully visualises complex quantum theories, with dancers appearing to exist in multiple places simultaneously, their limbs tracing pathways through unseen dimensions.
Architectural Alchemy
The transition to Stone Nest provides one of the production's most powerful moments. As audiences move between venues, they become active participants in the quantum narrative. Stone Nest's raw, industrial interior creates a stark contrast to Somerset House's neoclassical elegance, effectively representing the 'other earth' of the title. Here, McGregor explores what different choices might yield in parallel existences, with dancers repeating sequences but with subtle, haunting variations.
Technical Brilliance Meets Emotional Depth
McGregor's collaboration with cutting-edge technologies remains as innovative as ever. Projection mapping transforms simple surfaces into gateways to other dimensions, while an atmospheric score pulses with otherworldly energy. Yet beneath the technological sophistication lies profound emotional resonance. The dancers of Company Wayne McGregor execute impossibly fluid movements with such conviction that abstract concepts become deeply human experiences.
The production's most remarkable achievement is making complex theoretical physics feel immediate and visceral. When dancers mirror each other's movements with quantum-like entanglement, or when solos fracture into multiple possibilities, audiences don't just understand parallel worlds intellectually—they feel them in their bones.
A New Benchmark for Contemporary Dance
Infinite Bodies represents McGregor at his most conceptually ambitious and technically brilliant. The work never allows its high-concept premise to overwhelm the human element, maintaining a delicate balance between cerebral exploration and raw physical expression. As dancers navigate both the grandeur of Somerset House and the intimacy of Stone Nest, they invite us to consider the infinite versions of ourselves that might exist just beyond perception.
This is more than just a dance performance—it's a profound meditation on choice, possibility, and the very nature of reality itself. McGregor has created not just a show, but an experience that continues to resonate long after the final curtain falls.
