If I can’t Dance I’m Not Coming showing at Assembly @ Dance Base, is Karl Jay-Lewin and Matteo Fargion translation of the 1927 silent film Metropolis The work reframes Metropolis not as a narrative but as a choreographic score, translating silent‑film physicality into contemporary choreography.

Beneath the glittering towers of Fritz Lang’s production lies a city built on exploitation: the wealthy live in dazzling luxury above ground, while an army of workers toil beneath it to keep the machine running. When Freder, the privileged son of the city’s ruler, discovers the brutal reality below, he sets out to bridge the gulf between the classes, only to find himself caught in a nightmare of technology, rebellion and false promises.

Nearly a century on, Metropolis still feels less like a relic than a warning: spectacular, strange, and unsettlingly familiar.

Performed by an ensemble of eight, where each performer directs a section, If I Can’t Dance I’m Not Coming creates an interesting patchwork of tones, but it also makes the piece feel uneven. Some moments have a spark of humour or rebellion that hints at something more alive, while others settle into a choreographic neutrality. The repetitive sequences became, well —- repetitious. What should have built tension instead settled into a loop that dulled the impact of the performers’ work.

There’s no denying the craft behind the piece, or the intelligence of the performers, and I appreciate the ambition of translating a film through bodies rather than images. But for me, the result felt too controlled. I kept waiting for a moment of rapture, warmth, or surprise; something.

I left with respect for the artists’ intentions, but without the sense of connection or excitement I look for in dance. Thoughtful and undoubtedly sincere, it nevertheless never quite found a way to pull me in emotionally.

If I Can’t Dance I’m Not Coming left me feeling more impressed by the idea of the work than by the experience of watching it.

Reviewed by Nina Gardner

Three Stars

Playing at: – DB1 at Assembly @ Dance Base until 27^th August

Tickets and further information can be found following the link below

https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/if-i-can-t-dance-i-m-not-coming

Credits:

choreographer Karl Jay-Lewin

composer Matteo Fargion