Blue Elephant Theatre
Wednesday 18th November 2015
Chloe Aliyanni Trivialis
Three strangers collide at a crossroads. Is it a chance encounter or the scheming hand of fate?
Jonathan Caruana, Savina Casarin and Morrighan MacGillivray are the protagonists in Chloe Aliyanni’s Trivialis. It premieres as a full length work at Blue Elephant Theatre; a venue increasingly known for its contemporary dance programming and as a platform for emerging choreographers.
Wary and guarded, the dancers pace across the floor. They turn abruptly dodging one another’s pathways and stubbornly avoid eye contact like skilled London commuters. The energy and momentum builds punctuated with tightly-danced sequences in unison.
Gaia Cicolani and Clelia Vuille are Puck-like and impish creatures. Dressed head to toe in black, they appear and disappear at will, melting into the walls and floor. Locked in an combative embrace, they playfully push and pull each others limbs. Are they the mischievous authors of the collusion that entangles the lives of the central characters?
Stelios Kyriakidis’s score is brooding and imposing. The electric guitar throbs and pulses, enveloping the performers in a dense cocoon of sound. In a duet between Caruana and MacGillivray a single melody weaves its way through the dancers bodies. Caruna dissolves at MacGillivray’s touch. Like a long drawn out breath, their movement takes on a looser, softer quality, dissipating the earlier tension. The final trio brings resolution. Holding hands, Caruna, Casarin and MacGillivray share weight and discover shapes with a common fluidity.
Trivialis is well rehearsed and slickly executed. Aliyanni integrates music, lighting and movement into a comprehensive work. It is bursting with intensity with strong performances but the narrative thread frays as the piece progresses. Trivialis starts with a bang, but struggles to sustain its impact.
Philippa Newis
To find out more about the Blue Elephant and upcoming performances, click here
Check out Chloe Aliyanni via her website or Twitter (@chloealiyanni)
