(seen at the afternoon performance on 20th April 2023)
A product of Chinese artistes who escaped their homeland and set up in New York 2006, they now have 8 companies touring the globe simultaneously, sharing both ancient Chinese dance culture and their religious beliefs of outlawed spiritual group Falun Gong.
Consisting of sixteen short segments – fourteen dance, one excellent soprano singer and one traditional Chinese musical instrument recital - a couple of the dance segments highlight Falun Gong, but for the most part this is fascinating pure entertainment.
With the company name meaning “divine rhythm arts troupe” every piece demonstrates a different type of movement from male and female specific (there are no other identities in this production) to regional dances from Tibet, Manchuria and beyond.
A number of traditional tales are told – the monkey was of course keen on the hilarious story of rescue by a monkey. The amusing antics of a drunk monk (not monkey, note) and an Emperor more fascinated by a concubine than his kingdom.
A “water sleeve” dance and dance involving fragile jugs on female dancers’ heads captivate, as does the male chopstick routine with much clattering.
Some hard-hitting political commentary with a modern tale of arrest for simple dissent and another of hope through adopting the attitudes of Falun Gong are also present. The first is more effective for taking a stance on current events. The second is notable for being the first piece of theatre the monkey has seen which tackles covid and how authorities dealt with it.
Each section is linked by an endearing couple who offer both English and Chinese explanations, commentary and history. A large live orchestra - again blending Chinese and Western instruments - take up most of the space usually occupied by Hammersmith's front stalls.
On stage a young musician plays the Erhu, with piano accompaniment, creating a sound richer than a violin and beautifully compelling.
Most of the show is played against animated projections. A mixture of video-game styles with traditional imagery, there are a few inventive motifs; the morphing of animated into real people never grows dull each time the smoke clears.
There is a reason the vast Apollo Hammersmith sells out each time the company visit, even at the high prices. Without programmes being available (they didn’t have enough and were hoarding stock so that a few may be sold at the remaining performances) the monkey cannot credit cast or technical crew.
It can say that the whole show is colourful and a real surprise. The dance we see in the West, ballet, modern, West End / Broadway was all taking place in China 4000 years ago. The steps are familiar, the acrobatics just part of the movement. With stunning traditional and modern costumes and 21st century backdrops, this comes highly recommended for fans of dance musicals looking to broaden their tastes, and dance fanatics of all types.
4 stars.