Choreographer: Matías Jaime
It is relatively rare for a dance show to give a proportion of its space just to the creation of music. The arrival of Matías Jaime’s Malevo at the Peacock Theatre as part of a world tour is divided into three sections, one of which celebrates the playing of drums and the work of its accompanying musicians Martin Morales, Juan Carlos Acosta, Lucas Coria and Gustavo Ybarbas who are given almost as many opportunities to showcase their skills in Argentine Malambo throughout the 90-minute performance as the 13-strong dance troupe.
The other two sections of the show are dance-focused and while there is no story as such, Jaime draws on ‘folkloric dance performed originally by Gauchos of the Pampas region’ to create varied solo and group choreography. Combining flamenco and Paso Doble footwork, Malevo focuses on a very specific type of movement, fast beats tapped through the heel primarily that frequently land on the side of the foot, almost turning over the ankle within the rapid, syncopated rhythms.
Across the show Jaime combines this with acrobatic performances using ‘boleadoras’ – a stone attached to a leather strap – spun at speed from both hands simultaneously, creating circular patterns in the air as well as clicking sounds that also beat the same rhythm as the drums and heels of the dancers. The flexibility and manoeuvrability of the performers are often astonishing, moving the boleadoras across and round their bodies, often in close proximity to one another, weaving the shapes around the stage to create plenty of spectacle.
But you can have too much of a good thing and one of the frustrations of Malevo is all that skill – and everyone plays the drums, dances and manipulates the boleadoras – is haphazardly showcased through a strangely structured show. Jaime introduces both the dance and boleadoras sections with some powerful solos, numbers given the space they need to build a rapport with the audience and demonstrate the control required to deliver both aspects of the performance. Yet, Jaime dilutes the impact of these single pieces by continually mixing the competencies together in different formulations for the rest of the show with little obvious purpose.
A stronger approach could also begin with the soloist, the lone boleadoras practitioner dressed in his South American cowboy-esque garb introducing the audience to the concept and varied capabilities of the form before inviting the rest of the troupe on stage to perform alongside him. This would highlight the soloist but lead more directly to the scale and impact that Malevo is trying to create. A similar approach to the pure dance sections would be equally effective, giving the show a sense of growth and progression as well as creating a balanced meaning between the quieter, more reflective sections focused on the intricacy and talent of the dancer with the bolder, all-cast finales.
Malevo is rare among international dance shows in that it really is focused on the Malambo style with limited lighting and costume tricks to instead make the company and its musicians the stars. Yet, throwing everything into every dance is certainly a feat of performance but one that starts to lose choreographic structure and purpose.
Runs until 4 November 2023
