This week sees the Cuban ballet superstar at London’s Albert Hall with his own company, Acosta Danza, formed in 2015 to harness and develop the young talent emerging in Cuba. The purpose, fully realised on the evidence of the first performance, is to produce dancers who effortlessly combine classical and contemporary genres. This versatility is what shines out most strikingly from the brilliance and professionalism of all the dancers performing here this week; from an inspired dance parody of 1960s mod-Britain to sublime classical ballet, with bouts of Flamenco inspiration thrown in.
Nevertheless whenever Acosta himself emerges on the stage he outshines the rest of the company. He kicks off playing the lead part in the “Mermaid” which opens the show, a deliciously sensual account of the mermaid, played by Marta Ortega, literally finding her feet. The music, composed by Woojae Park and choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, had an oriental flavour though it ended up with gentle piano notes by Eric Satie.
This was followed by a distinctly Latin American number, "Alrededor no hay Nada”, consisting of poems by Joaquin Sabina and Vinicius de Moraes recounting in resonating tones the creation of the world (“El Dia de la Creacion”). Choreographed by Goyo Montero, the voice of Vinicius filled the Hall to its very rafters, his spoken words providing the rhythms for members of the company to dance to and culminating in an intriguing Jazz finale.
The first part of the evening concluded with “Rooster” choreographed by Christopher Bruce using songs by the Rolling Stones, including 'Little Red Rooster” and others which could not have illustrated better the justice of Acosta Danza’s claim to successfully combine the contemporary with the classical and the versatility of the dancers. What was striking was how the dancers contributed rythmn to melody based music, resulting in a parfect partnership of sound and movement.
Then came the main course with Acosta’s staging of Bizet’s “Carmen”. I recently saw Carmen la Cubana performed at Sadlers Wells, using the original story by Prosper Merimee, but given a Cuban setting. Acosta takes us back to the Andalusian original with the bull ring very much in the foreground and a horned dancer representing a bull looming ominously in the background.
But the work’s universal and timeless issues of jealousy, desire and a woman’s insistence on resisting male possession are faithfully brought out by Acosta’s adaptation. Acosta himself interprets the bullfighter Escamillo. The doomed lovers Carmen and Jose, danced by Laura Rodriguez and Javier Rojas, provide a brave challenge to Acosta's powerful sensuality, bringing the work to its tragic close with a moving expression of human despair.
Carlos Acosta will be performing at THe Royal Albert hall until Friday. Tickets at https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2018/carlos-acosta-a-cele...
