Dance review: MayBe

DANCE

Marc Brew Company - 'For Now, I Am' Part of the Glasgow festival Dance International

MayBe

Tramway, Glasgow

JJJ

One of the magical aspects of dance is its ability to convey an entire narrative without words. Some stories are easier to depict than others, but the love between two people has always been a shoe-in. Which, in the case of MayBe is both a plus and a minus.

When dancers Marc Brew and Gisele Calazans appear on the half-lit stage, a pulsating beat propelling their movement, it’s clear their eyes are going to meet across the dancefloor. Duly partnered their relationship begins, journeying along a well-trodden path of emotional and sexual intensity followed by the inevitable conflict and uncertainty as their personalities fully emerge. The “will they, won’t they” storyline continues right to the end, with a painful honesty that echoes real life but doesn’t necessarily make for dynamic storytelling.

What MayBe does do is deliver some truly beautiful images. The couple’s mutual need for support is translated into tender balances, with both Brew and Calazans taking it in turns to lie across each other’s backs, almost floating on air. Brew’s movement vocabulary has always had a compelling quality, both in his wheelchair and out of it, and MayBe is no exception. He and Calazans make for an intense couple, by turns tender and distant.

Meanwhile, at the back of the stage, lies another treat – a trio of musicians on keyboards, guitar, drums and electronic programming. Their diverse output is also perfectly in tune with our indecisive but hopeful loving couple.

KELLY APTER