Created as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase this Edinburgh Fringe, Scottish Dance Theatre presents a double bill of starkly contrasting works: The Flock, choreographed by Roser López Espinosa, and Moving Cloud, choreographed by Sofia Nappi.
First up, The Flock is inspired by migrating birds: their desire to fly and the adventure of moving on together. This exploration of animalistic movement examines the behaviour of a flock moving as one through the vast open sky.
The opening section is rather mesmerising as the dancers move in metronomic rhythm. The transfixing quality continues throughout the piece. With deceptive effortlessness, the dancers leap, roll, lift, and carry each other, so in tune with each other’s bodies.
Every transition on and off stage is seamless, so much so that it can be difficult to keep track of who entered or exited the stage. At one point, there are two dancers on stage, then suddenly there are eight. The physicality on display in this piece, which is the longer of the two in this double bill, is admirable; the energy never falters as the birds take flight and experience freedom.
In absolute contrast, we go from a serene atmosphere to an explosively energising one in Moving Cloud. Sofia Nappi’s choreography is a display of fast, intricate, almost contorted movements. With a decidedly Scottish vibe, this piece features traditional-music collective TRIP, who provide exhilarating original music from Donald Shaw and musicians at the forefront of Glasgow’s traditional music scene.
At the heart of The Flock and Moving Cloud is an honest sense of community, trust, and resilience. Each dancer has a chance to shine and showcase their individual strengths, yet there’s also a pleasing fluidity and unity throughout which makes for a satisfying watch.
Lasting around an hour and a quarter, including a 15-minute interval, The Flock and Moving Cloud offers an engaging evening of music and dance that might be particularly appreciated by the contemporary dance connoisseur.
