Canadian born choreographer Éowyn Emerald returns to Edinburgh following her acclaimed 2014 run, with a new programme that showcases her dazzling dancers and inventive choreography, using a mix of different music styles to help the dancers express Emerald’s hidden narrative.
With four dancers, two males and two females (including herself), the programme comprises seven dance pieces with titles that don’t give you many clues as to what they could be about. Beautiful in their individuality, there’s no real narrative and it leaves the audience confused and looking for answers. The pieces differ in style, with anything from one to four dancers interacting using ballet, jazz ballet, electronic and fluid movements.
Trinary, the first presentation, sees three of the dancers dressed in dark boiler suits, executing a series of moves reminiscent of Kraftwork before finally morphing into different brightly-coloured leotards and tights with Smurf-like hats, before finally being joined by the fourth dancer dressed in a white boiler-suit! A simple lighting change bathes Eowyn in red, creating an air of drama, and there’s a playful interaction with a light ball.
In the second piece, dancer Holly Shaw (dressed in purple) plays with the audience, teasing them with her moves to the sounds of jazz and integrating jazz ballet. It’s joyful and gleeful.
There’s no doubting the talent of this group of dancers with their grace and wit, but those looking for a storyline will leave confused. If you can take it at face value without delving too deep, you may enjoy its simplicity. Note – the show does not take place on Sundays.