Acosta Danza – Cuban Eclectico – Birmingham Hippodrome

Choreographers: Paul Reinoso, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Pontus Lidberg, Maria Rovira, Alexis Fernandez

Acosta Danza is back in Birmingham, with a showcase of versatility and skill in their mixed programme Cuban Eclectico, featuring work ranging from Afro-Cuban dance to modern Cuban styles. It is, as the title suggests, an eclectic mix with choreographers from different parts of the world creating pieces, each individual but with an ongoing Cuban feel – and it serves to showcase the skill and technique of the dancers superbly.

The stage darkens and we open with Sartori, a name that stems from Zen Buddhism which refers to spritual illumination, and the choreography by Paul Reinoso reflects the theme admirably. It has alternately a light, ethereal feel and a deep rawness as the dancers interact with a large blue cloth, a piece that is half scenery and half costume (a stunning design by Angelo Alberto). It gives the piece a rich, sumptuous feel while allowing the dancers to appear and disappear, sometimes lost in a melee of whirling bodies and fabric, sometimes exposed as the fabric lifts away around them. Fabiana Piccioli’s lighting plays its part here too, creating periods of gloom and darkness before the arrival into the light. Note that this piece contains partial nudity and brief strobe lighting.

In a contrast to the ensemble opening we hear the familiar notes of Prélude à l’aprés-midi d’un Faune, giving a completely different feel to the second piece of the evening, Faun. The languid opening phrases reveal a solo dancer, then a second, and what has started as a slow, individual piece transforms into highly erotic and seductive dance, where it becomes unclear who is seducing who, removing any sense of coercion as the pair come together. They move across the woodland floor in a playful manner, then join in a sequence of writhing, elastic limbs in a sharp contrast to the Debussy themes that can still be heard behind them, creating a hugely impressive piece of dance by choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. The skill and flexibility of these dancers is something to admire.

This is very much a team production and so there’s more ensemble work with Paysage, Soudain, la Nuit by Pontus Lidberg. It’s an earthy celebration of traditional Cuba, set against a backdrop of cornfields based on Vientos by Elizabet Cerviño. The music by Leo Brouwer and Stefan Levin here adds to the feeling of place and time too, with typical Cuban sounds and the rhythms of the rumba, with its African roots. With its sometimes highly synchronised movement, it feels like a reflection of the historically unseen Cuba, the farm workers, the fields, with lighting by Patrik Bogårdh creating a vivid sense of twilight falling as the dancing crops change colour from golden to deep orange.

Before we reach our final ensemble piece there’s Maria Rovira’s Impronta, a solo dance with stunning choreography set to the music of José V. Gavilondo, merging the contemporary with Afro-Cuban folk dances, with a deep rhythmic feeling. Then all too soon it’s the end and time for De Punta a Cabo with can be translated as from beginning to end. It’s been created based on impressions of contemporary Cuba, with all its contrasts and diversity. Traditional, modern, rich, poor, in the end everyone is Cuban and should be celebrated. The choreography reflects the premise, with dancers barefoot, or in trainers, or pointe shoes with the moves to match, all set against a backdrop of a seafront at nightfall. It’s a fitting end to a magical evening.

It’s a delight to see an ensemble who are not only technically highly skilled but also incredibly versatile, and who also seem to take such enjoyment from their dancing. It’s a shame that the lack of a show programme makes it impossible to credit individual dancers, but all twelve in the ensemble are, in their own way, the stars of the show.

For a varied and enjoyable evening of dance, be sure to catch the show before it finishes its tour.

Runs until 14 May 2025 and on tour