R.O.S.E: Sharon Eyal, Gai Behar, and Young with Ben UFO: Review
For this review we headed over to Manchester’s New Century Hall to check out Factory International’s recent show, R.O.S.E.
Factory International is a new event venue which opened in June this year at Aviva Studios, a landmark new cultural space designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). Factory International produces a year-round programme of original creative work, music, and special events, including R.O.S.E.
R.O.S.E. is an experience which introduces a symbiosis of the DJ, audience, and performer. It presents a culture where club-goers and professional dancers exist within the same space to create a new and immersive way to enjoy music and dance.
So, you may ask why as a Liverpool-based platform we’re covering this Manchester event. Well, firstly we want to highlight the unique nature of a show like R.O.S.E. Secondly, Manchester is super-close to us and thirdly, shows like this are worth travelling down the M62 (or taking the train) for.
Curated by Factory International, choreography by Sharon Eyal, Gai Behar and London based record label ‘Young’ came together to present a collaboration of dance and music. Set within Manchester’s iconic New Century Hall the night mixed UK club culture with dark hedonistic choreography. The DJ for the evening was Ben UFO, a man who has garnered a reputation as one of dance music’s most wide-ranging selectors. He played during and after the dancer’s performances, with his contemporary selection of songs perfectly accompanying the ballet and contemporary dance elements of the performances. By contrast, exaggerated vogue elements of the choreography gave the distorted, boundary-blurring style signature to Sharon Eyal.
The choreography consisted of isolated movements that reflected breaks in the track. There was also a certain unpredictability to the experience; static movements in the movement would transform into travelling phrases where the dancers would make their way into and amongst the crowd.
With a mixture of solo pieces and group unison choreography, the atmosphere was constantly evolving within New Century Hall. Solo dancers slipped effortlessly through the audience whilst group sections felt intimidating and affronting. The burnt orange down lighting on the dancer’s cast silhouettes that merged into the bodies of the observers, making this an intimate experience whereby the audience add to the overall performance and composition of the art. A certain energy would be left on the floor after the dancers’ performances that would travel into the energy of the crowd like a form of osmosis.
It is great to see contemporary dance and the culture of dance music working in unison to bring new immersive experiences into the mainstream.
This is an exciting time for shared experiences of immersive art, one that we hope to see replicated in the future.
R.O.S.E ran in Manchester from the 12 July 2023 – 15 July 2023.
Visit the Factory International website to see their programme of upcoming events, including Yayoi Kusama: You, Me And The Balloons, which is running now until 28 August.
Photography by Ebun Lauren – @ebun.co.uk