"Without words you can't portray emotion" - something I have heard a lot in theatre. "Movement alone isn't enough," I've been told. I suggest those who foolishly believe that should pay a visit to a production of Naked. They will see jusy how untrue these statements are..
Naked is the creation of Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, founders of the George Piper Dances. Together they have worked with such great choreographers as Petipas, Macmillan and Nijinska so you can expect the best from those who have worked with the best. Naked originally started its life as a short duet which was devised as a birthday gift to the wife of Lord Gavron and featured some of the key movements now in the completed piece.
Naked tells and shows the story of three couples throughout the various stages of their relationships. The good, the bad and the ugly: each having a distinctive style to match their love for each other and the twists and turns their lives take.
All six dancers were pure brilliance! Through their bodies they can show every emotion and make the audience feel them. They manage to be loving and violent and still make it look like a thing of beauty. Nunn and Trevitt clearly know their creation well and work every second of it. However for me the stand out performance was from the amazing Oxana Panchenko. I was unable to take my eyes of this woman for one second - she moves like an angel and has the beauty of one too!
The set by Bob Crawley was simple but so very effective. In the first half it's a pure white apartment, a few windows stage left with white curtains pulsing in the wind. It is beautifully lit to make it sexy and stylish, while also being used to project stunning images by Hugo Glendinning. In the second half it switches to black for a far darker mood, still sexy but more intense!
Music by Murcof and Richard English helps give the piece a contemporary feel, with funky groves and a very percussive vibe.
With beautiful choreography, a great set design and lighting, the most beautiful woman in the world, Oxana Panchenko, and a fight scene to match the balletic action of Yuen Wo Ping in the Matrix, Naked is the must see dance experience of the year!