Dance and live music beautifully intertwined in an intimate setting
“Close Up” by Noé Soulier is now showing at the Royal Opera House as part of the London Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels festival. Featuring six dancers and five musicians from the baroque ensemble Il Convito, the piece delves into the intricate
relationship between movement and live music.
The 75-minute performance is divided into two distinct parts, with the second emerging as the highlight. In this latter section, Soulier presents an innovative choreographic concept, using video to isolate and emphasise various body dimensions in motion. This inventive approach evoked the feeling of an art installation, allowing the audience to focus on the subtleties of movement that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Both pieces also incorporated loud exhalations by the dancers during specific movements, perhaps intended to underscore the quality or intensity of the movement. However, this artistic choice felt overused and didn’t significantly add to the performance. I also wondered whether this effect was perceptible to audience members seated further back in the theatre.
The highlights of the program were the musicians and dancers. While it is an interesting choice to dress the dancers in loose t-shirts and denim jeans, this does not restrict their movements. They particularly excelled in the choreography that balanced fluid, supple movement with sharp, staccato precision, demonstrating both the control and versatility of the dancers.
If you’re drawn to innovative works that invite you to focus on the finer details of dance, this performance will likely resonate with you.