“Bring Your Own at The Lowry is a high-energy dance show full of athleticism, chaos, and inventive group choreography.”
I went to see Rambert’s Bring Your Own at The Lowry this week and came away really impressed with the energy and athleticism of the dancers. The show was split into three pieces, each with its own feel, and what stood out most was how well the group worked together. The timing was spot on, and they made great use of the whole stage so every section felt alive.
The first piece, Hop(e)storm, started with a bell ringing and a rumbling backdrop. It felt like a clash between the dancers, with the women launching themselves across the stage and the men having to catch them. At first it seemed combative, but it shifted into a kind of truce, where they danced together instead of against each other. I liked how it moved from a retro Lindy Hop style into something closer to rave culture. It gave the piece a sense of progression, like moving through different eras of dance in one number. The group worked as one, filling the stage and keeping the energy up throughout.
The second piece, Weather Is Sweet, was very different. It leaned into the LA club scene and was more provocative. The choreography was bold, playful, and at times a bit in-your-face, but the overly explicit nature of the dance did accidently turn it humorous. That didn’t take away from how the dancers pushed the limits of what their bodies could do and how far they could go with certain movements. Even though parts were sexual, it felt more like a look at how people move in club environments, how physical it gets and how boundaries are tested. It wasn’t my favourite of the three, but it was creative, and the timing between the dancers was flawless.
The final piece, Room With A View, really stuck with me. It started slow, with the group moving together in a controlled, almost hypnotic way, before one dancer broke away and shifted the energy. From there, it built into organised chaos, with human pyramids, dancers being thrown around, and bursts of energy that felt wild but precise. The group often split across the stage, which made it dynamic and full of life, with lots happening at once. At times it was almost hard to take it all in, but that added to the sense of chaos and rebellion. I loved how it swung from everyone moving together to complete disorder, with individuals breaking out and even taunting the audience. It was funny in places, but also powerful, the kind of performance that leaves you buzzing afterwards.
What really stood out across the night was the stamina of the dancers. The choreography asked a lot from them with fast changes in pace, big lifts, and sudden bursts of energy, but they never missed a beat. The athleticism was impressive, and the trust they had in each other made even the riskiest moves look confident. I also liked how much of the stage they used. Nothing was wasted, and wherever you looked there was always something happening.
Overall, Bring Your Own was a strong and varied evening of dance. Each piece had a different atmosphere, from the retro-rave vibe of the first, to the bold humour of the second, and then the chaotic energy of the third. For me, the closing number was the highlight, but the contrast between all three worked really well.
I wouldn’t say every section is for everyone, but that’s what made it interesting. You got to see different sides of what Rambert can do. The energy, precision, and athleticism of the dancers carried through the night, making the whole performance worth watching