PERFORMANCE & COMEDY

Theatre Royal Bath (Sun 29 Jan)

DANCE Things have changed a lot since former Royal Ballet Principals Michael Nunn and William Trevitt created George Piper Dances, an outlet for their own creativity as dancers and film-makers, which included a live cinema vérité approach to the backstage happenings. Now they've changed their name to BalletBoyz and leave the dancing to a group of teens and 20s selected by open audition from the experienced to the raw talent of the title.

The problem with the current show is that it starts off superbly, then gradually declines. But Russell Maliphant's opener, 'Torsion', really hits the spot. A percussive soundscape accompanies the dancers as they appear and disappear, each inhabiting an individual rectangle of light, using upper body movements, strong but devoid of aggression, moving only the torso. It then develops into a more open, upward stretching piece, using balance and counterbalance, and one dancer performs remarkable (and painful-looking) series of circles entirely on his knees.

The trouble with Paul Roberts's 'Alpha', however, is the mismatch between the flowing dance and Keaton Henson's music: acoustic guitar with vocals that appear to have little to do with what is happening on stage (children dying in a burning house?). It makes it almost impossible to focus on what appears to be rather beautiful, low-key choreography.

But it's with Jarek Cemerek's finale, 'Void', that things really go wrong. It begins interestingly enough, with projected film of the boys walking uneasily around high-rise buildings and streets, semi-transparent images suggesting a kind of uncertainty and transience. Sadly, though, that's it. Apart from one short moment where they shoot across the stage in silhouette, the most exciting activity is counting the number of times a projected bus drives off into the distance. So what's the problem? Well, groups of macho gangs hurling themselves across the stage, shoving and snarling at each other, isn't where we're at just now. Uninventive, with a tedious industrial score, it breaks no new ground and doesn't even go over the old ground with any originality. A dismal end to what had started on such a high note. (Lesley Barnes)

Copyright Lesley Barnes 2012