CriticalDance Forum

'Foreplay through the feet to a marimba beat.' Jann Parry enjoys the Henri Oguike Dance Company performing new work in a small theatre in London.

http://www.observer.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,429782,00.html

One of his current dancers is Cathy Marston, who gets a mention. Here is the link to the topic about her diary:

http://forum.criticaldance.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000321

<small>[ 20 December 2003, 05:50 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

kt posted this review of the work from Dartington in another topic, but I thought it might be good to consolidate the two topics we have on this group which won the 'Time-Out' Best New Company Award for 2001.<P>****************************************<P>Hi everyone! I know my presence is usually in the forum but here's a review for those interested:<P>Henry Oguike Dance Company's Spring Tour features three new pieces, one a work in progress. The first, A Moment of Give, is a refreshing celebration of the dancers' technical prowess. Most impressive was Joanna Cassell, whose unity and clarity in movement produced a remarkable ability to perform complex sequences of extreme contrast and snapping change. Sumptuous, elegant, sweeping movements with the finest interpretation of 'suspend and release' I have ever seen was spattered with dynamic jerks and twists, lending an image of stretched and plucked elastic bands to the dancers' frames. However, the work was a little long to support its content and even though the choreography was stylistically strong, the effort to weave in narratives beyond the beauty of form paradoxically gave the piece a lack of depth.<P>The second piece, Shot Flow, lacked even the display of ability which seems to be this company's strongest feature. The dancers were undermined by the underdeveloped use of light and live musical accompaniment. This was made more disappointing as the relationship between movement and light and music were, in the programme notes, claimed to be a major choreographic issue. The work's most interesting feature was the male dancer's position as object of desire. This seemed most incongruous despite the unaffected way it was portrayed. Still, this is a work in progress and a future audience could hope for a more cohesive and thoughtful example of an exploration between dance and light and music.<P>The final work Melancholy Thoughts was the triumph of the evening. In this piece the dancers' talents were utilised in a such a way that the individuality of each performer shone through, giving additional layers and cross-references to the interesting story-line. This work appeared to have been considered from many different angles and possessed a sense of refinement that lifted the choreography from impressive gymnastic display to a level that was successfully communicative. Set to a lovely tango, the juxtaposition of new, fresh love against the sadness of the stale did indeed produce a melancholy atmosphere.<P>Future dates for HODC include:<P>27/3 - Hemel Hempstead<BR>29/3 - Leighton Buzzard<BR>30/3 - Bedford<BR>1+2/6 - The Place, London.<p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited March 23, 2001).]

kt, many thanks for the review of this very interesting Company. We will always be delighted to read your thoughts about any performances you see. I was particularly pleased as I'm keen to have more reviews from the UK.

In response to links:<P>Hmm...it seems I may have caught this group on a bad night. It was actually Cathy Marston that impressed me the least. The tenseness she carried in her body was infectious and her balletic background was all too obvious in this contemporary company. I was distracted by her apparent weariness and even though we are all human, I was surprised and disappointed by the effect this had on her performance.<P>I have just read Jann Parry's review and I really couldnt see a relationship between the musical accompaniment and the dance in Shot Flow. As some of you know, Ive recently spent a lot of time looking into the work of Russell Maliphant, who spends a lot of time choreographing to and improvising with light. In his works I can see light moving and acting within the work as another performer and not a tool for effect or highlight. In contast, it is this effect and highlight that I percieved with HODC. However, as I mentioned in my review this IS a work in progress and future spectators may see a more symbiotic and mutual relationship between dance, music and light.<P>If anyone out there sees some other performances by HODC I would be interested to hear what they see/think.<P>kt, 99

Just thought I mention that our London shows will no longer be at the Place but will open a new venue in London; the Stratford Circus. The dates are the 14/15/16 June.

Thanks for the update, Cathy, and don't mind KT's comments above. She's really a secret agent in disguise as a dance enthusiast.

Thanks for the update Cathy. I think Ill come along and see the work again in June - and Im sure the occasional negative criticism doesnt adversely effect a professional such as yourself and fellow co. members. <P>With best wishes

<BR><small>Cathy Marston of the Henri Oguike Dance Company</small><P>The Henry Oguike Dance Comapny perform at South London's Bonnie Bird Theatre at The Laban Centre on Wed. Oct 31 and Thurs. Nov. 1st. Oguike is a former Jerwood Choreogrphic Award winner and was also last year's Time Out Most Promising New Dance Group (or something similar). <P>Here are the <A HREF="http://listings.londondance.com/dl/page.php?page=details&id=L29285836" TARGET=_blank><B>performance details</B></A> and here are some details about <A HREF="http://www.londondance.com/Content.asp?Level=3&Subsection=222" TARGET=_blank><B>the Company</B></A><BR>

The Laban performances are sold out. If you are very keen, ring to see what the possibility for returns is.

east london dance at Stratford Circus presents

Henri Oguike Dance Company (Thu & Fri 6-7 Dec)

Renowned for his vigorous, intricate and strong sense of musicality, Jerwood
Choreography Award winner Henri Oguike and his company present a
Programme of four contrasting dance pieces including two new works: Shot
Flow, a duet performed by Henri Oguike and Alicia Herrero-Simon, in
collaboration with fast rising Portuguese composer Pedro Carneiro and lighting
designer Guy Hoare; melancholy thoughts, a sextet to four of Astor Piazzolla's
passionate and highly contemporary neuvo tango compositions for violin and guitar.

Henri Oguike Dance Company also present the acclaimed A moment of give, an
emotionally charged quartet set to Shostakovitch's piano trio No.2 in E minor and
Ile Aye, a light-hearted quintet danced to a medley of popular Brazilian songs by
renowned artist Caetano Veloso.

Henri Oguike Dance Company, recent Time Out Live Awards 2001 winner as 'Most Outstanding New Dance Company', is passionate about the relationship between music and dance and three of the four pieces will be performed to live music. All choreography is by Henri Oguike.

Henri Oguike Dance Company (Thurs 6 to Fri 7 Dec at 7.30pm) - east london dance at Stratford Circus

Stratford Circus, Theatre Square, Stratford, London E14 - Box Office: 0208 279 1000

Future east london dance at Stratford Circus programming includes

26 Jan 2002 Retina Dance Company - World premiere of X (preview perf 25 Jan)

1 - 2 Feb 2002 Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company - preview performances of Phantasmaton

***************************

Stuart adds:

This show provides not only an opportunity to see the Henry Oguike Dance Company, which is clearly going places, but also to see the recently opened Stratford Circus venue. Details of the new venue are given in our

Press Releases forum

[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited November 13, 2001).]

<small>[ 08-11-2002, 04:40: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Review in The Independent.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Henri Oguike is a comparative newcomer to the dance scene but is fast making a name. His programme for 2001 is an unusually long one among contemporary dance companies, with a gratifying variety of moods, and two of its four works are notably good.<P><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre/dance/reviews/story.jsp?story=109756" TARGET=_blank> <B> MORE </B> </A>

<B>Henri Oguike Company</B> <BR>Judith Mackrell in The Guardian 3* (out of 5)<P><BR>Stratford Circus, east London's new performance venue, opened in September with the Henri Oguike Dance Company inaugurating its high-profile programme. The building has an appealing personality and buzz, and the auditorium, constructed along similar lines to the Opera House's Linbury Studio, is a good place for independent dance. Though the stage is too cramped and boxy to house anything ambitious (even Oguike's work sometimes looks cramped), the sight lines are reasonable and the intimate proportions allow for pleasingly direct contact with the stage.<P><A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,3604,617869,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A>

<BR><small>Henri Oguike Dance Company</small><P><BR>There was a lot to enjoy at the recent London performances of the Henri Oguike Dance Company. The seven dancers all have something to offer and Oguike crafts varied pieces that give his performers the chance to impress. The venue was the new Stratford Circus, which suited the scale of the work and provides good sightlines.<P>Music is a key ingredient for Oguike and three of the four works had live accompaniment in a range of styles. To begin, we saw ‘melancholy thoughts’, his addition to the ever-growing collection of dances to Astor Piazzolla. Indeed one of his dancers, Cathy Marston, is also a contributor to the genre. Oguike uses contemporary dance steps with some tango allusions and the work came to life for me in the slow duet for Nuno Campos and Nuno Silva, where the choreographer successfully expresses, in his own way, the sensuality and melancholy of the tango idiom. Both the men do well and Campos in particular impressed with the fluidity and musicality of his dancing. However, I was less convinced by the faster ensemble sequences and felt that they neither captured the elegance of the tango nor generated fresh revelations.<P>With ‘shot flow’ it was very much, ‘..and now for something completely different,’ which is always welcome at a single choreographer dance evening. Pedro Cameiro conjured rich and intriguing sounds from his marimba and Guy Hoare’s lighting provided a range of perspectives for Oguike himself performing staccato gestural moves dipping in and out of the shafts of light. This was riveting stuff, even though the final duet sections didn’t quite take the piece to a new level as I had hoped.<P>After the break we saw ‘A Moment of Give’, which was the high spot of the evening for me. The Piano Trio no.2 in E minor by Shostakovitch was played live on stage by David Cohen, Joji Hatori and Faith Leadbetter who brought out the sorrow and tension in the music. This atmosphere was also reflected in Oguike’s choreography using in turns stillness, melancholy movement and wild steps with swinging arms to show the impact on the characters of ‘the shadow of war’ mentioned in the programme notes. The impassioned dancing of Cathy Marston strongly portrayed the despair inherent in this work.<P>To end we could relax with ‘Ile Aye’ to songs to Caetano Veloso. It’s one of those works where you have a grin on your face the whole time. The South American rhythms form a background to various romantic meetings and skippy steps. Alicia Herrero Simon showed her understanding of the music in her sinuous movements. <P>This was a long evening by contemporary dance standards, but the variety of the works on offer retained my interest to the end. Well worth a visit if they come to your area. <P><BR><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited December 14, 2001).]

Henri Oguike Dance Company

19 venue UK Tour - Spring 2002

Opens 21 January Oxford Playhouse
Closes 15-17 April The Place, London

Renowned for his vigorous, intricate and strong sense of musicality,
Jerwood Choreography Award winner Henri Oguike and his company present a
programme of five contrasting dance pieces including two new works: 'in broken tendrils' and 'front line'.

'In broken tendrils' is a quartet set to Bela Bartok's virtuosic 2nd Violin Concerto where the lush orchestrations of the Concerto reflect a conscious escape on Bartok's part from the "pestilential" austerity of European fascism. During the final period of Shostakovich's life, the composer retreated into thoughts of death and stillness. front line is a sextet performed to Shostakovich's 9th Quartet in E Flat. With constantly shifting moods, anger followed by listlessness, instruments squeal like animals and engage in wild stamping dances.

The full press release including details of all the venues on the tour are available here

<small>[ 08-11-2002, 04:42: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Ismene Brown has a fine time with great dance in a tiny venue. All that is gold does not glitter<BR><B>Music and movement magically married</B> <BR>Ismene Brown in The Daily Telegraph reviews the Henri Oguike Dance Company<BR> <P>YOU can go to the theatre for months, getting pleasure but without quite having that frisson of excitement that marks out the best evenings of your dance-going life. And then you find it in a tiny school theatre under the A40 flyover in London. Henri Oguike was an eye-catching dancer when he was with Richard Alston's company, his dark looks paired with a scything decisiveness about his way of moving.<P>But not until he launched his own company in 2000 did it become clear how rich his own imagination might be and, moreover, how musical. <P><A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2002/02/26/btisme26.xml&sSheet=/arts/2002/02/26/ixartright.html" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited February 26, 2002).]