By BRUCE DENNILL
WGRUV: Art Effect / Artistic Director: Holly Gruver / UJ Arts & Culture, Johannesburg
The upward trajectory of relatively new dance company WGRUV continues apace with Art Effect, a collection of four standalone works of considerable variety and cultural grounding. WGRUV also continues its strategy of having short runs in a wide range of venues, and inhabit the modern, comfortable UJ Arts Centre with verve and energy.
The first work, Vivace Motifs, balances its bright title with classy costumes in muted browns and beiges. New York-based Jessica Lang’s choreography (re-staged here by Rachel Seacrest) incorporates a number of classical elements among more contemporary movements and with much of the piece involving three sets of partners – Saili Gruver and Ruan Galdino, Anna van den Bergh and Marlon Sales and Chloe Gruver and Javier Monier Jouve – there are numerous opportunities to showcase both solo and pas de deux excellence. The last movement in the piece is one of the highlights of the show overall, and Chloe Gruver makes an instant impact with capacity, confidence and charisma that have notably increased over the last few months.
Postures Of Grace – Living Extensions Of Art is choreographed by Holly and Lex Gruver – WGRUV’s director and assistant director respectively, and combines the lyrical linking of images, costumes and emotion communicated through movement, posture and facial expressions. The white and grey of the costumes reflect the colours of charcoal on paper seen in the work of artist Greatjoy Ndlovu, with an artwork called Echoes In Motion projected behind the dancers.
Game On, choreographed by former New York City Ballet principal dancer Lauren Lovette (and staged by Anabel Alpert) is a simpler piece performed cheekily by WGRUV’s premier pairing, Saili Gruver and Ruan Galdino. Dressed to play tennis (with that context supported by more projections), the dancers playfully vie for stage space, egging each other on with nods and hand gestures, pausing to take sips of water while the other exerts themselves and executing some interesting lifts and other interactions when meeting onstage. The soundtrack is driven by the percussion of Tommy Gruver and Decius Pitjadi, as in sync as the dancers as they play quick, intricate rhythms.
The live musicians return to support the closing piece, Rosie – Resilience In Motion, which is a powerful, exciting interpretation of a journey through illness and recovery choreographed by Roseline Wilkens, which crescendos to a pulsing, flat-out full-company finale that pushes the dancers to their limits in terms of both its complex ensemble timing and the energy required to commit fully to it at the end of the show. It energises the room, ensuring that the audience leaves on a high.
Beautiful interpretations of existing repertoire and exhilarating introductions to new work: Art Effect is enjoyable regardless of your involvement in or understanding of dance, which is a significant achievement over and above the particulars of the pieces included in this production.