Sylvie Guillem and Russell Maliphant: Push - The Lowry - 24/04/08 by Jo Beggs

Legendary dancer Sylvie Guillem is now in her forties, but age has done little to diminish her distinctive style. In these four short works, all choreographed by collaborator Russell Maliphant, her extraordinary talent, fused with top-notch design and music creates a flawless and memorable performance.

The evening opens with Solo in which Guillem, clad in floaty white trousers and bolero shirt emerges out of the darkness into pools of light from spots on a low slung gantry. Her fluid movement draws sweeping arcs in the darkness, both soft and balletic and powerfully grounded, expansive and yet pinned within the spotlight glare under the industrial framework of the gantry. Flamenco by Carlos Montoya brings a firey passion which sits somehow at odds with, and yet fully complements the movement.

Barely time to take a deep breath at the wonder of it all before Russell Maliphant takes over for his signature sols work Shift. Against a white backdrop the lone Maliphant performs a trio with his shadows, sometimes like giants looming behind him, at other times creating a sharp dark outline around his body. Maliphant’s slow, powerful yoga-like performance is hardly a solo, though. Brought together with Michael Hulls’ dramatic lighting design and Shirley Thompson’s blues inspired string serenade, Shift is a fine example of the collaborative process, where all elements are equally vital to create the whole.

Two, which follows, is a remarkable work, showcasing not only Guillem’s ability but also her striking body. Bathed in a golden light, dressed in a black backless dress, Guillem’s sinewy and muscular body glows like an old master painting as she writhes and twists in body-building-like poses whilst rooted to the spot. Andy Cowton’s electronic score begins with a repetitive sonar beep, later gearing up into video-game pounding as Guillem’s movement accelerates to a frenzied, spinning dervish, her limbs blurring in the light like feathered wings or orange splashes of paint on a black canvas.

After an interval Guillem and Maliphant present Push, a piece they have been performing together since 2005 when it premiered at Sadler’s Wells. During the thirty-two minutes of the work their two bodies barely separate as they push, pull and roll over one another. The work makes the most of Guillem’s flexible gymnastic ability, its hypnotic pace at times giving the impression that she is underwater or in a bubble of zero gravity.

Push is a clear highlight of the Lowry’s dance season. It’s a privilege to see these seminal works by such wonderful performers.