In the ever-evolving world of contemporary dance, few choreographers have made as indelible a mark as Hofesh Shechter. The Israeli-born artist’s intense, visceral works have captivated audiences worldwide, and his latest creation, Theatre of Dreams, is no exception. Premiering at London’s Sadler’s Wells, the piece is a testament to Shechter’s singular vision and the resilience of the human spirit.
A Tightrope Between Dream and Nightmare
From the moment the first dancer emerges from the audience, bending through a triangular aperture in the curtain, it’s clear that Theatre of Dreams inhabits a liminal space. Shechter’s choreography unfolds in a series of vignettes, each framed by swooping curtains that reveal an ever-shifting landscape of movement and emotion.
The precision is breathtaking, as solos give way to group sequences, playfulness turns to aggression, and scuttling steps transform into desperate, stationary sprints. Throughout, Shechter’s signature percussive score propels the action, occasionally softened by the seductive rhythms of a red-suited band.
Illuminating the Shadows
Integral to the work’s power is Tom Visser’s lighting design. More than mere illumination, it sculpts the space, carving out blocks of light that frame and intensify the movement. Warm reds give way to bleak charcoals and eerie blue-greens, evoking the chiaroscuro of the human psyche.
There’s a sense of discovery, of the capacity of the human spirit to revive, to fantasize and to dance.
As in Shechter’s 2017 work Grand Finale, which imagined its dancers aboard the deck of the Titanic, there’s a palpable sense of shadows being held at bay. But Theatre of Dreams also celebrates the human capacity for revival and fantasy, even extending an invitation for the audience to join the dance.
Niepce’s Powerful Exploration of Disability and Dance
Where Shechter probes the human spirit through ceaseless motion, Portuguese choreographer and dancer Diana Niepce finds potency in the smallest of gestures. Her solo work The Other Side of Dance, presented as part of Dance Umbrella, is a mesmerizing exploration of dance and disability.
Niepce, who suffered a spinal cord injury, begins the piece in silence, her immobilized legs encased in zigzag leggings. With painstaking control, she stretches and flexes her arms, contorting her body into shapes that are at once beautiful and unsettling.
Niepce’s unblinking gaze challenges the audience to confront their own assumptions about the dancing body.
In the work’s second half, Niepce is strapped into a contraption reminiscent of a giant tuning fork. As she is lifted and maneuvered, her body creates arcing lines that belie the effort behind them. The final image—of Niepce balanced precariously yet utterly in command—is seared into the mind long after she departs the stage.
Taken together, Shechter and Niepce’s works offer a powerful reminder of dance’s capacity to probe the human experience in all its complexity. From the relentless drive to overcome adversity to the poignant poetry of a body in motion, these artists illuminate the resilience and fragility that unite us all.
