Bring Your Own, Rambert x (La)Horde
Rambert in Hop(e)storm by (LA)HORDE © Hugo Glendinning
If you were anywhere last year, The Last Dinner Party’s hit single ‘Nothing Matters’ was inescapable.
The chorus (And you can hold me like he held her / And I will f--- you like nothing matters) was a drumming ear-worm to hedonism, and funnily enough, perfectly sums up the vibes of the latest work from leading contemporary dance troupe Rambert.
Bring Your Own is a triple bill mixing brand new and existing works by French collective (La)Horde. This is the second showing of work by the team this year – they were recently showcased at Sadler’s Wells as part of the Dance Reflections Festival - and I was keen to see some of their work for myself.
And, to be honest, I was left feeling quite empty.
Rambert in Hop(e)storm by (LA)HORDE © Hugo Glendinning
The night opened with the premiere of Hop(e)storm. Set to Elvis’ Jailhouse Rock which blended into techno, this upbeat work pushed the dancers out of their contemporary comfort zone into the world of Lindyhop and Rock n Roll. An old Swing Dance teacher of mine used to state that Lindyhop could be danced to modern music, so I hope she swings (heyhey) along to this to see her theory in action. A particular highlight saw dancers jump and swing in a rotating line – a highly executed piece of choreographic engineering if ever I saw one. Over the piece the stage transformed into a sweaty rave with elements of locking, although even the high energy of the piece struggled to get me feeling anything. A common theme of the night.
Rambert in Weather is Sweet by (LA)HORDE © Hugo Glendinning
If a rave makes you sweaty and high on life, then a trip into the erotic is certainly a logical narrative next step (apologies to my mother reading this). Weather is Sweet saw the group grind and gyrate on each other (at one point all centralised on one lucky/unlucky man) with lusty abandon, entwining around each other and posing at suggestive moments, bottoms at one point played with like basketballs (mother, you were warned, you only have yourself to blame). The overt intimacy was both repellent and intriguing (to quote Miranda Hart ‘I don’t want to look but I can’t not look, it’s like Boris Johnson!’). Key themes of power dynamics and sex-positivity were evident throughout, but I can’t say that the work went deeper to comment on consent like it intended.
Rambert in Room with a View © Hugo Glendinning
The final work Room With A View was the most choreographically interesting. A cluster of dancers walked painfully slowly across the stage, individuals pushing their way out to perform highly acrobatic moves: dancers held, as if levitating, above a colleague lying on the floor; individuals thrown on to the shoulders of others, or performing falls of faith into the arms of their friends. The audience was also flipped off a lot. There was a visceral anger amongst the group. A protest at something. Life? “The man”? Society? Sure, dance doesn’t need to tell me what, but it lent towards protest for that sake of it. Performative. Anger because why not? As they stood under a light of reflection and absolution, the audience clambered to their feet in applause. I was left confused and like I was missing something.
★★★
Bring Your Own by (La)Horde, performed by Rambert
Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London / 7 May 2025
Press ticket
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