Henri Oguike Dance Company at
Oxford Playhouse October 11 |
Henri Oguike Dance Company's latest tour brings the audience an impressive programme. Four pieces -varying in temperament and character - bring us modern dance and choreography of the highest quality. Throughout, Guy Hoare's lighting fuses with the choreography, setting moods and enhancing atmospheres and messages. 'Front line', set to Shostakovich's 9th Quartet in E Flat, opens the evening. The music is performed live on stage by the Pavao quartet and the strength and energy coming from the dancers' bodies fill the venue. The sound of the dancers drawing their breath and of their feet hitting the floor is an integral part of the piece and adds yet another dimension to the movements. In 'Dido & Aeneas', Oguike draws on Roman mythology to tell a dramatic story of hope and despair, love and death. Sarah Storer confidently carries the drama forward with great poise. Henri Oguike performs the solo piece 'F.P.S. (Frames per Second)' with electric presence.
The lighting and colours of the set merge with Oguike's moves in this impressive piece. The programme ends with the flirtatious 'Finale', where we find the dancers interacting with the audience in a way not seen in the other pieces. Smiling widely, they travel back and forth across the stage and irresistibly pull the audience in. The Latin-inspired music - a compilation of work by René Aubry - sets the tone and the dancers pick it up and run with it. All seven members of the company contribute to the playful seductiveness of this piece, with Nuno Campos standing out as being especially charismatic. Henri Oguike Dance Company offers innovation, beauty and choreographic marvel. Incredibly, two hours of their truly amazing work feel like a brief moment. Reviewed by Jenny Enarsson | 
