Eun-Me Ahn Dance Company’s Dragons at Birmingham Hippodrome Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Sheridan Brown

I was very excited and a little nervous about attending this performance of Eun-Me Ahn’s ‘Dragons’, which was performed at Birmingham Hippodrome. I love dance – but I am in no way an expert. However, I am open to new ideas and experiences. Eun-Me Ahn is a celebrated avant-garde choreographer from South Korea and I was excited to be immersed in a new dance experience. I was also nervous that it might ‘go over my head’. In truth – it did a little – but that was more about my own limitations, rather than the performance itself.

We had travelled to Birmingham by train and took a 5-minute stroll from New Street Station to the theatre. I’d recommend travelling by rail – it’s quick, no traffic and so convenient for the theatre. As always, Birmingham Hippodrome gave us a very warm welcome. The staff in the lobby and bar were incredibly friendly, helpful and proactive in making our experience easy and memorable. It was lovely to see such a diverse crowd of people in the theatre – it made me feel like I was part of something different and special. I was reassured by this diversity – that the performance wasn’t aimed at a niche audience.

As we took our seats, the stage shimmered and pulsed with what looked like leafy branches swaying in a breeze. These images were being projected onto near-transparent gauze which stretched across the entirety of the front of the stage. The projections gave us a taster for what was to come – and oh! what a visual feast these moving images would provide.

Eun-Me Ahn’s Dragons, presented by Dance Consortium, has been described as a ‘joyful riot of dance, music and non-stop movement’. Although mythology in the west presents dragons and fearsome and deadly, this production embraces the eastern view of dragons as joyful and optimistic. Maybe it was my western mind-set – but I had expected more imagery or ideation of actual dragons in the show – and I was initially a little disappointed by this. However, on reflection, maybe the choreography (by Eun-Me Ahn) was intended to reflect the sheer joy and optimism that dragons represent. It certainly achieved that – and it was a ‘joyful riot’ from beginning to end!

The choreography was fabulous – combining contemporary and traditional dance styles from Asia. Beautifully precise and delicate movements were juxtaposed or complemented with extravagant and visually thrilling leaps, rolls and spins. The talent and expertise of the individual dancers was breath-taking. Eun-Me Ahn’s production innovatively combines live choreography with hologrammatic performances from six young guest performers, all born in the year 2000, and from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Taiwan. Projections of these dancers appeared alongside the seven members of Ahn’s dance company; next generation and experienced performers coming together.

The set (Eun-Me Ahn) provided a peculiar and sometimes disconcerting backdrop to the choreography. All three sides of the stage were draped with vertical columns of large, highly reflective industrial venting ducts. Sometimes it was left motionless and sometimes incorporated into the choreography of the piece. One particular sequence felt like a psychedelic dream! My husband laughed that it felt like watching Noo-Noo on an acid trip! Humour aside, the set was spectacularly enhanced by video imagery (directed by Taeseok Lee), which was projected onto the gauze screen and the silver ducting. This created a world in which the dancers were immersed in a three dimensional and mesmerizing space where the laws of physics held no power.

The choreography was further enhanced by a range of visually-arresting costumes (also designed by Eun-Me Ahn) – I especially liked the way the fabric moved and caught the light. In addition, the flexible ducting of the set was also incorporated into some of the costumes. For example, by animating this ducting the performers were able to change their form – extending the limits of human anatomy. I wondered if this was an expression of the non-human nature of dragons.

Lighting and sound were also central to the success of the performance. Designed by Jinyoung Jang, the lighting perfectly captured the mood of each sequence – constantly changing in tone and intensity to enhance the story. The music for the performance was composed and directed by Young-Gyu Jang. Complex and compelling, the score seamlessly combined delicate and traditional sounds with K-Poppy and contemporary anthems, driving the piece forward to a final breath-taking crescendo. Ultimately, set, costume, music, lighting and video imagery brilliantly come together to create a breath-taking riot for the senses.

I am sure this is my lack of experience in the genre, but I couldn’t really follow a ‘story’ or understand how the difference sequences related to one another. Maybe I wasn’t expected to. It is absolutely true that the performance built in drive and intensity as it progressed – and I loved that – I really was gripped by its extravaganza throughout. I may not have been moved emotionally – but I was spellbound by the performance.

Rating: 4/5
Dates: Tues 25th Mar – Wed 26th Mar
Performance: 75 minutes, no interval
Tickets: from £16.50 – £34.50
Remaining shows are bookable here: www.birminghamhippodrome.com