'Mitten wir im Leben sind/Bach6cellosuiten' at the Teatro della Pergola, Florence

On Saturday night I joined the goodly arty folk of Florence at the Teatro della Pergola to see a dance piece by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker set to Bach cello suites played by Jean-Guihsn Queyras and danced by the Rosas dance troupe. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect but nothing ventured nothing gained as I took my seat in the grand old theatre (odd numbered seats on the left, even numbers on the right). The production was part of the Festival Del Maggio Fiorentino.

We were greeted with a bare stage which was entirely empty of scenery or props, nothing covering the wings or back wall, empty, empty, empty. Just a small pole on the left with coloured sticky tape hanging from it, fire extinguishers and some scaffolding resting against the back wall. Ok, this is a bit different.

Then the first dancers came on to use the coloured tape to make a pattern on the stage and then a woman dancer made signs with her hands and then held up one finger to indicate act one while the cellist settled himself on a stool with his back to the audience. And the dance began.

Each act followed the same pattern with different coloured tape being laid on the stage, the stool moved so the cellist was in different positions, the luminous woman signing the act and then a solo dancer taking off, occasionally being joined by the woman dancer. Leaping, dancing, twisting in mid-air, rolling on the stage, running to the back of the stage and then forward to the lip of the stage, all non-stop movement to the sound of there cello being played relentlessly. Three men and two women (including the luminous sign woman) dancers plus the cellist.

I was quite distracted by the woman dancer who did the signing at the start of each act since her skin tone was so white on luminous white. Now I know what that phrase means. Her skin almost glowed with whiteness, legs, arms, neck and face all really stood out. When it was time for her solo dance the stage lights went off and she danced to two spotlights and even when she was out of the spotlight it was quite easy to see her movements due to her sheer whiteness. I've got no idea if this was a planned part of the performance or merely happenstance but it was quite enthralling. I couldn't understand how anyone could be so white in Florence when simply looking out the window into that glorious sun must induce some level of tan.

The final act involved all five dancers coming on stage and weaving intricate patterns with their bodies. Synchronised walking, jumping, moving together, rolling on the floor, twisting together - it was a sight to see. It wasn't ballet, it was something else and it was a delight. The sheer concentration written on their faces and the sweat standing out on their bodies was incredibly noticeable. This was intense work to create an experience we could all be part of, dancer and observer.

At several points in the performance I wondered how on earth do you write this down so it's the same whenever it's performed by different dancers? Is there a 'modern dance' language that summarises a somersault followed by a leap followed by a twist in the air to land with your back to the audience? I suppose there must be. Whatever it was, it was most impressive.

It's important to not forget the music, the lone cellist on stage with the dancers moving around him. For each act, his stool was moved so he faced a different direction. The sound of the cello was marvellous, deep and sonorous, fast and slow, everything a dancer could wish for. It was played by Jean-Guihen Queyras, a star performer of the cello who was most impressive.

Well done people, I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. You've opened me up to new possibilities in dance and it'll be interesting to see where it takes me. Thank you!