Derevo: Reflection  
  Aurora Nova, until Aug 30, 22:45, £10 (£8), Derevo - Tanya Khabarova.  
 
 
Out of the mist, a motionless figure appears. The audience holds their breath and waits. The dancer does eventually move, but such tense moments of expectation reoccur throughout the show.

This is not an easy piece to watch. Beautiful and innovative, arguably to the point of being pretentious and self indulgent, Reflection astounds, baffles and disturbs its viewers. The vigorous and frenzied precision of Tanya Kharbarova's movements is incredible as she imitates an insect, a bird, a little girl. Although the soundtrack is rather reminiscent of someone twiddling the reception dial on a radio while sitting in the middle of a motorway, the excellent sound and lighting are superbly atmospheric. Religious and astronomical symbolism, bizarre rituals, growth and evolution all seem to be concerns of Reflection, but the scenes are so cryptic and abstract that it's hard to tell for sure.

thrill: Like nothing else.

spill: But what does it all mean?

 

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