Tellus review: Dickson Mbi fills Sadler's Wells East with vibrant life

Latest work from the dancer, choreographer and composer deserves its standing ovation in a sharply-paced, beautifully presented triumph

Tellus is stages with a minimal set and plenty of dramatic lighting - image by Luc Lodder — Tellus is stages with a minimal set and plenty of dramatic lighting – image by Luc Lodder

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There are just some shows that have you on your feet at the end.

Dickson Mbi Company’s Tellus, recently performed at Sadler’s Wells East in Stratford, prompted the whole audience to rise and cheer as it reached its conclusion.

Perhaps key to the show’s success was its pacing. Contemporary dance can sometimes err on the side of self-indulgence, with routines spun out far beyond the attention of the audience.

But Dickson’s show had none of this. Not a flick of the hand was wasted as we watch a kinetic, talented cast gouge a story out of the stage.

A simple set of lights and a string curtain constrained the action to the dancers’ forms – and what a sight they were.

Tellus follows the story of a young person disconnected from Mother Earth and living in a village beset by drought.

He appeals to the goddess Mami Wata for help and is guided in the ways of worship and caring for the land.

His is a desperate, heart-rending attempt to reset a relationship and restore balance.

Throughout the dancers contort themselves as though these elemental forces are coursing through their bodies.

At one point they transform, bringing their torsos down and expressing themselves through their shoulder blades as if possessed. It’s an unsettling, but unforgettable image.

Projections, courtesy of Yeast Culture, enhance the piece without detracting from the performers and a score by Dickson himself provides the sonic foundation.

At no point, for a full hour, does the intensity drop.

While the pain and ecstasy of movement on display here is palpable, the cast deserved their multiple curtain calls simply in recognition of the extraordinary physical achievement of staying the course, never faltering as Dickson uses them to explore his Cameroonian heritage.

5/5 *****