Bring me to Light from the Chloe Kastner Dance Company is a contemporary, artsy dance performance that is advertised as exploring themes of addiction, heartbreak and mental illness within the 40-minute performance which will ‘leave audiences hopeful for a better tomorrow.’
The company, led and choreographed by Chloe Kastner, comprises six dancers. All six appear in the opening piece which begins in the blackout. After consideration, this may have been a technical error as the lighting was inconsistent and appeared unrehearsed in many areas. There were times when the lighting choice lacked purpose and motivation, simply increasing in intensity for a moment and decreasing again, quickly becoming very distracting.
All sound/music cues appeared on time except one or two that seemed to suddenly cut out. Perhaps some slow fades may have added more variety to the tech and made it somewhat more engaging and emotive.
In regard to the dancers, it is clear that they are very talented. Their movement was flawless, and they are all very skilled in what they do. However, this was not the best performance to show such skill.
The production states the dancers are ‘dancing as individuals rather than a group’ and this is true. During ensemble moments, there were at times six different movement sequences happening on stage within a short space of time meaning so much of the fantastic skill of these performers was missed or glossed over as there simply wasn’t enough time to appreciate everything. There were many times when I felt as though there was far too much going on onstage, creating a multitude of distractions.
The heavy contemporary nature of the piece meant that the themes didn’t come through clearly. Yes, as mentioned, the movement was impeccable but, for me, that’s all it was. Movement. Not a story, not the issues that were said to be being explored. The whole piece was simply six dancers flipping between ensemble, solo and duo pieces for 40-minutes and the only thing I was hoping for was the end.
Bring me to Light plays until the 20th of August at The Space at Niddry Street and tickets can be found HERE.
Reviewer: Dylan Mooney
Reviewed: 16th August 2022
North West End UK Rating: ★★