Dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests and London Sinfonietta join forces to present their vision of Terry Riley’s In C at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank.

In Terry Riley’s minimalist classic In C every musician is given a sequence of 53 musical phrases. Each then repeats a phrase for a suggested 45 to 90 seconds before moving on to the next one. Hence no two performances are ever the same.
As the phrases drift in and out of synch intricate hypnotic patterns emerge. The 12-piece Sinfonietta delivers the melodic brilliance characteristic of this composition, crisp yet delicate.

Saha Waltz, an acclaimed German choreographer, created In C for her Berlin dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests primarily to bring dancers together during lockdown. The choreography features 53 figures to allow structured improvisation with rules. Performers have creative freedom within these rules. Leadership roles are flexible, allowing switches at any time.

“In C” emphasizes individuality within a group.

The set is a simple backdrop that subtly changes colour throughout the performance. The costumes are simple, shorts or sweats and t shits in soft coordinating colours.

The performance opens in silence with dancers and musicians walking onto the stage silhouetted against a red backdrop. As they take up their positions the choreographic figures are simple, moving smoothly from one area to another whilst the musicians take up their instruments on the left of the stage, visible at all times. The music starts with a clear beat on the keyboard like a heartbeat that connects everyone – performers and audiences alike.

As the music builds the dance phrases grow more complex. Sometimes leading, sometimes following, the dancers form clusters of twos, threes and occasionally as the whole ensemble. There is a gentleness in the movements similar to watching Tai Chi, maintaining calm even as the music intensifies.

Recently, contemporary dance has increasingly incorporated an array of visual effects, elaborate sets, and unconventional lighting designs. It is refreshing to see a performance that is devoted to pure movement.

The performance is repeated this evening Weds 30th April 2025.

Tickets for In C are available at the
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/in-c/#times-tickets

4 stars

Reviewed by Nina Gardner

Creatives

Choreography Sasha Waltz
Composer Terry Riley

Costume Jasmin Lepore
Light     Olaf Danilsen
Concept Dramaturgy Jochen Sandig

Music London Sinfonietta
Photo Credits Pete Woodhead

Dancers

Sebastian Abarbanell
Davide Di Petoro
Jaan Mannima
Melissa Figueiredo
Yuya Fujinami
Hwanhee Hwang
Melissa Kieffer
Michal Mualem
Zaratiana Randrianantenaina
Orlando Rodriguez
Joel Suárez Gómez