The Lyon Dance Biennale has showcased a range of bold works, from William Forsythe's intricate new piece 'Undertainment' to Jan Martens' endurance-testing revival. Forsythe's work for the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company is described as fiendishly fascinating, with dancers building a sonic matrix through rhythmic gasps and hoots, while moving in lines, circles and grids. The piece feels studious and precise, layering subtle sounds and choreographing the audience's attention.
Other highlights include Ioannis Mandafounis's 'Lisa', which sets clear structures for improvisation with 1930s costumes and onstage piano, though it could benefit from tighter editing. Christian Rizzo's 'À l’Ombre d’un Vaste Détail, Hors Tempête' features poetic text and shadowy, precise choreography that offers coherence without conformity.
Collectif ÈS's 'About Lambada' deconstructs the dance into two trios, contrasting rigid rhythm with bodily contact, but feels thin despite historical video projections. Jan Martens' 'The Dog Days Are Over' is a 70-minute piece where dancers simply bounce on the spot, evolving slightly, testing endurance and provoking thought about regulation and survival.
Marco da Silva Ferreira's 'F*cking Future' is visually striking but superficial, with uniform dancers in shiny pants performing formation dancing that masks conformity. The biennale overall presents a mix of rigorous experimentation and uneven results, challenging audiences to engage with dance's boundaries.
