On the 2nd May, Phoebe Mitchell & I got the amazing opportunity to watch Encore Dance Company perform at Dance East, Ipswich. The first thing that was apparent to me about Encore Dance Company is the pure energy and love each dancer applies into their performances. It made such a difference as an audience member. The Goldfinger dance was an amazing glimpse into the show that was about to unfold. The movements were clean, fluid and the formations that were constructed, including the tricks, definitely made it more visually appealing.

I absolutely adored the fact there was a wide range of dance styles, it meant everyone there in the audience had something that they would definitely enjoy. Multiple dancers stood out to me such as Victoria Gutsul. Whilst performing to Back To Sleep by Chris Brown, she remained focused throughout the performance and maintained her raised eye contact with the audience. However her actions still remained effortless & natural for the entirety of the performance. I personally found her outstanding as a performer.

The use of props, the innovative ways of travelling across the space, the amazing stunts, the duets, the group pieces as well as the performance that each dancer got a segment to perform a solo; all traits that made Encore dance special. Everything made sense, and it all interweaved with each other, and in all made such a spectacular production. It was beyond difficult to take my eyes off the stage, and ridiculously hard to choose which section of the space I wanted to focus on.

At the end of each performance, there was a video that was displayed to the audience. The films were recorded during the company’s rehearsal time, and it allowed the audience to understand how the choreographers and the dancers communicated and interacted with each other. It showed the remarkable relationship that’s been built up within the group, and how the group have constructed the incredible trust they have with each other. Each choreographer had the opportunity to explain their dance and how everything’s been put together, allowing the audience to understand how much time and effort the company dance members have applied to their performances.

All in all, the dance company performed a diverse and captivating show for the audience. I wholeheartedly enjoyed watching each performance of the night.

Review by Gold Owolabi, student at Suffolk One.

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