The Harvest – Dance City, Newcastle

Choreography: Lila Naruse & Rosie Macari, Pelican Theatre, Renaud Wiser & Fertile Ground

Music: Various

Fertile Ground is a dance company describing themselves as, “dedicated to talent development and retention in the North East and North of England.” The Harvest was a one-day festival, hosted by Dance City and culminating in an evening of short dance pieces by the company, plus alumni and guests.

The first section was a short aerial dance work called Aetherbound, choreographed and performed by Lila Naruse and Rosie Macari. It used music by Bon Vie, Charlie Grey & Joseph Peach, and Flawed Mangoes. Initially working with harnesses and modern ropes, the two dancers balanced and climbed, flew and descended, lending each other their strength. This chimed with their theme of the evolving strength of womanhood. The dancers then moved on to working with a more traditional rope. This section was particularly involving without the intrusion of harnesses. Throughout, their artistry, invention and tender interaction ensured this was an affecting dance piece rather than being in any way a circus act, despite their prodigious skill and strength. The music was complementary, rather than obtrusive, and the dancers were well served by Simon Cole’s atmospheric lighting design.

Next came Obscura, a combination of film and live dance, by Pelican Theatre. The stage was backed by a filmed forest scene where five dancers performed solos, duets and ensemble sections around the theme of people coming and going from one’s life. In front of this, live dancer Pagan Hunt interacted with the film, sometimes mirroring the filmed dancers, sometimes echoing or otherwise reacting and eventually leaving the stage to appear in the film, dancing with the ensemble. All the dancers demonstrated excellent technique and clear emotional commitment to the piece. Music by Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett and Floating Points, added to the impact of the dance. This was an imaginative and intriguing presentation but perhaps it felt a little like the audience was being short-changed in terms of live dance, despite Hunt’s wonderfully expressive performance. Still, it could be an economical and practical way to tour a form of live dance to smaller venues.

The final section, E-motion, was conceived by Renaud Wiser and choreographed by him and the dancers, Maria Giachetto, Esme Obey, Hope Brown-King and Berta Admetlla. The idea was that the audience would vote via an interactive app to shape the show, choosing from a menu of options to decide the mood of each section and how many and which of the dancers should be involved. Unfortunately, the app failed to work so the choreographer was compelled to determine the audience’s wishes by a simple show of hands.

The resulting piece was quite impressive enough to make the audience forgive any technical issues. The four dancers demonstrated strength, fluidity and connection. Showing individuality where appropriate, they also combined as a seamless whole in the powerful ensemble sections. They effortlessly rose to the demands of the unpredictable, engaging and exciting choreography, making for a truly enjoyable performance.

Altogether, this was a night of entertaining innovation that bodes well for the future of dance in the region.

Reviewed on 7th September 2025