The Ruggeds: State Shift – Sadler’s Wells, London

Choreographers:

Waterbrothers: Roy Overdijk with Lee Demierre

Turns: Shailesh Bahoran, Roy Overdijk with Virgil ‘Skychief’ Dey

Presented with the help of dance theatre company Breakin’ Convention, Dutch crew The Ruggeds return to Sadler’s Wells with their cerebral hip hop moves. State Shift comprises two short thoughtful pieces that focus on the process of adaptability in times of uncertainty.

Opening with Waterbrothers, artistic director Roy Overdijk and Lee Demierre dance within a circle of light. They skim the surface as if they are skating on ice or as if the circle is revolving. They spin and jerk, testing the ground, testing each other, before they settle back into a relaxed pose. At one point they stop and step back to opposite edges of the circle. Here, drinking water from plastic bottles, they act in unison. Neither takes his eyes off the other; this is a competition that must not be lost. It’s a thrilling short dance, only let down by its sudden indecisive ending.

There are two stars in the other dance Turns: performer Virgil ‘Skychief’ Dey and the light design. Each competes for attention. The lights designed by Ido Koppenaal and Niek Traa fall almost to the ground while Dey leans back at impossible angles or swivels on his toes as if he is double-jointed. Jessy ‘Boi Beige’ Kemper and Dominique Vleeshouwers’ electronic score, a mixture of industrial whirrings and upbeat rhythms, keeps the atmosphere tense.

There is one fleeting moment of joy as Dey’s body soars in the air. The moment’s ephemerality makes these short seconds of happiness even more precious. Otherwise Turns is layered with pensiveness as Dey continually adapts to a changing environment. Turns is a powerful piece relying on a symbiotic relationship between a dancer and a machine.

The only misstep of the whole evening is a live musical interlude by Kemper. There’s no doubting his talents but the jazzy techno music just goes on for far too long and is played at deafening volumes. It’s a relief when it’s over and Dey appears in the shadows to begin his performance.

Hip hop dancing is often loud and exuberant, but The Ruggeds prove that their style of dancing can be just as sensitive and expressive as ballet. Even though Sadler’s Wells East, with its hip hop academy, is opening next year in the Olympic Park, let’s hope that its iconic Rosebery Avenue venue will still present works from companies like The Ruggeds. They deserve to be there.

Reviewed on 26 May 2023