An earlier radio interview with artistic director Debbie Turner provided some insights. She never names the season, staging productions only under the company's name. And Turner's contribution in Love Always was partly inspired by the special qualities of dancers Alice Godfrey and Henk Opperman as they unwittingly created a tribute to her relationship with her husband, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday.
It's an emotional, romantic neoclassical piece that is devoid of "groundbreaking choreography", which Turner finds unnecessary if she's comfortable with the language she's working with. Quite honestly, who needs it when you're treated to a performance of the standard that this couple produced? Local audiences don't need groundbreaking either, if they can have near-perfect execution instead. Exquisite music helps and Turner chose a lovely piece by Franz Schmidt.
Resident choreographer Michelle Reid presented a new piece, God's Waiting Room, to music by Geff Buckley and her ever-popular Us Travellers to a soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Turner describes her style as quirky and themed without being narrative. God's Waiting Room considers what happens to the soul after death, but it's not morbid. The performance quality and dramatic ability of dancers Grant van Ster (formerly of Jazzart Dance Theatre), Cara-May Marcus and Louisa Talbot is so spellbinding, one can only appreciate the opportunity to be part of their audience. Talbot is way ahead of her top-20 performance, which impressed the judges in So You Think You Can Dance 2008. She's more toned, more precise, more intense every time she takes the stage. The trio was a pleasure to watch.
Opperman stole the limelight, back again in Us Travellers, having taken his role to another level. He's a great actor and the audience loved his comical expressions and movements. Of course, the rest of the cast played their parts well too in another successful performance.
The second half was dedicated to The Nature of Being, a piece commissioned from the esteemed David Krugel - a South African icon, as Turner put it. Renowned as a superb dancer, choreographer and director, Krugel trained at the UCT Ballet School and has been based in Europe since 1980. He has performed with Nederlands Dans Teater III, Bejart Ballet, Ballet van Vlaanderen and CAPAB Ballet. Krugel is currently performing in Last Touch First as part of the ongoing Holland Dance Festival, which is touring worldwide and has worked with international choreographers Mats Ek, Hans van Manen and Jiri Kylian.
The European influence is evident in his work, but Turner says it retains a very specific Krugel feel - contemporary, unusual, different. Five men and five women perform, with magnificent pas de deux by Van Ster and Talbot as well as Opperman and Simone Muller (ex Cape Town City Ballet, among others).
The lighting design was commendable and played an integral role in the piece, which finished up as 33 minutes long instead of the prescribed 15 minutes. Turner says it has a spiritual ending, but this is one of those pieces open to interpretation. You decide. The Cape Dance Company is always worth the investment of time and money and this is one of those shows that is an absolute must-see.
The season is on until 18 June at 7.30pm with a matinee on the last day at 3.30pm. Tickets are R65 and R75. Book at the Masque Theatre +27 (0)21 788 1898.
