Choreographer: Sasha Waltz
For a dance piece that allows dancers some kind of freedom to choose which sequence of steps to make, Sasha Waltz’s In C nevertheless seems incredibly choreographed. Dancing to Terry Riley’s music, a minimalist track that also allows freedom for the musicians, Waltz’s dance that first premiered online in 2021, must be, four years later, the defining dance of the decade.
A sign that it was created during Covid comes early, when a sudden embrace between two male dancers comes as a shock. Most of the other nine dancers are making the same moves, but they dance separately. Whether this awkward hug occurs in the same spot at the front of the stage at the same time during the hour-long piece would require repeat visits from a viewer. Other unexpected moments of touch are equally as moving.
In C sometimes runs like a theatre exercise where each performer repeats their own unique actions, circling the stage time and again. More often than not, at least two of the performers will find themselves next to each other at one point where their actions, now in dialogue, are given new meanings. But Waltz’s choreography is so tight and clean, it suggests that nothing is left to chance.
Of course, the dance comes with its own rules. The dancers must take their cue from the leader, but this leader changes all the time. Sometimes the dancers break out in smiles as the dance moves in a new direction, but it’s impossible for the audience to tell which dancer is leading. Best to sit back and enjoy the spectacle.
And enjoy the music. Riley’s In C is considered to be the first piece of minimalist music, and its score of 53 melodies can fit on a single page. Although the 53 phrases should be played in consecutive order, individual musicians can choose how many times each module is repeated. It sounds as complicated as the dance, but the music is sometimes perkily joyful, sometimes melancholic, the sort of texture that we now associate with Riley’s contemporary Steve Reich. In C can be played by any number of musicians and with any instruments, and in its rendition, London Sinfonietta brings brass and even an electric guitar.
For Waltz, C stands for community and collaboration, but it’s a punishing hour for the eleven dancers. Although it begins with robotic shoulder-shrugging and some javelin pull-backs, it picks up speed and energy. A sequence of tuck jumps comes in towards the end. Indeed, smiles are less noticeable here, and it must be a relief for them when it’s their turn to lie on the floor, even for a second or two. Sweat pours off them.
In C is a tough piece to perform and yet a stunning one to watch, especially against the colours of the changing backdrop. The rules of the game may be difficult to decipher, but it sounds – and looks – beautiful.
Runs until 30 April 2025
Part of Southbank Centre’s Multitudes Festival
