Curated by Carlos, a triple bill brought to the stage of Sadler’s Wells Theatre by Birmingham Royal Ballet, celebrates dance and music in a conceptual way. Two recently premiered works, City of a Thousand Trades and Imminent, joined by the world premiere of a new pas de deux, Chacona, constitute a diverse, dynamic performance, created by an international cast and, as the title suggests, curated by Carlos Acosta, the Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet.
The first piece, City of a Thousand Trades, a love letter to Birmingham’s heritage and its melting pot of cultures, expressed through modern dance choreography, shows the admirable teamwork of the whole ensemble whose group scenes appear more impressive than solos. They start timidly, not always synchronized with piercing, immersive music, composed by Mathias Coppens. Yet, as the performance progresses, they become more confident, turning into one pulsing organism. Attired in blue shirts and jeans, they resemble a flowing river as their shapes blur, but aesthetically, their costumes are, sadly, far from pleasing. Additionally, a poem delivered from a voiceover by Casey Bailey, Birmingham Poet Laurate 2020-2022, emphasizes the message; however, simultaneously, it feels pretentious, literal, and redundant.
Compared to the first work, Imminent seems more traditional and classical but also, deprived of unnecessary stimuli, it is precise, spectacular, and entertaining. Exploring themes of fear, hope, and the unknown, once again it demonstrates the ensemble as an attentive and equal group of artists. Although the set design is more static than in City of a Thousand Trades, it works more efficiently and convincingly with lights and choreography. Most importantly though, the story, told through dancers’ bodies and music, does not need any words or additional elements.
As the last piece, Sadler’s Wells Theatre sees the world premiere of a new pas de deux, Chacona, during which a guest artist, Alessandra Ferri, joins the ensemble of Birmingham Royal Ballet as a soloist alongside Carlos Acosta himself. It is definitely the most minimalist work, yet equally mesmerizing, although spare lighting, black costumes and J.S. Bach’s music, played on stage by solo instruments, piano, violin, and guitar consecutively, could possibly maunder some theatregoers. However, since extraordinary musicians become almost integrated into the performative space, Chacona blurs boundaries between dance and music, celebrating a symbiosis of these two forms of art.
Therefore, although the three works significantly differ from each other, contributing to the diversity of this performance, simultaneously, Curated by Carlos is a consistent and complete work whose attention to detail should satisfy every connoisseur of both modern and classical dance.
Curated by Carlos is at Sadler’s Wells until 6th November 2021.
