In contrast to Saturday night’s festival, the final night of Hush shaped up to be a rather distinctly feminine affair. The evening was full of more exploratory pieces by mostly female choreographers and performers that gently lured viewers into each choreographer’s mindset rather than hit you over the head with their purpose. Overall this translated into a much more raw and introspective evening of dance that truly highlighted the importance of Cloud Dance Festival as a platform for emerging talent.
Making their UK debut, Julia Pond Dance set the tone with an extract from the little difference words make, a highly evocative work which uses the perspective of ancient sibyls to discuss themes of isolation, dependence and limitation. An intriguing duo section saw Julia Pond’s dancers cloaked in white translucent veils, pulling and lifting each other like phantoms both trapped and needy, however their execution was at times unstable and a bit floppy. Pond’s heavy conceptualism is most successful in the hands of a responsive and confident dancer such as herself, and her solo section was by far the most captivating moment of the piece, managing to feel urgent, beautiful and lonely all at once.

The theme of isolation continued with SuperB Dance Theatre’s In between us, though set in the more familiar context of busy, modern, commuter-filled daily life. Some humorous moments connected nicely, but unfortunately this company seemed to greatly overestimate the dramatic potential of a well-lit umbrella. As dancers repetitively marched across the stage carrying them aloft, hiding beneath them, or posing with them, any momentum in the piece slowly slipped away. A shame too as a brief middle section where two performers danced responsively, always avoiding contact while repeating inquisitively, ‘Hi. How are you?’ was rather interesting.

Cambridge Contemporary Dance took to the stage next dressed in various shades of scarlet to explore the female psyche in Please Please Please. The piece declared nothing but suggested everything through multiple repeated choreographic motifs such as arms rocking an invisible newborn, dragging and lifting heavy legs forward, and the rubbing of skin vigorously. The deliberately ambiguous nature of the staging and movement meant it wasn’t the easiest piece to engage with, but it was performed well and demonstrated a thoughtful dialogue by choreographer Lise Smith.

Mary Sherwin, Charlene Dinger and Kelly Manning injected some welcome pace into the evening with Over, a dark, stylish and appealing lyrical jazz number more along the Mia Michaels choreographic vein. Portishead provided a perfect moody soundtrack for the wild-haired, ripped fishnet-clad girls to pirouette, twist, and pout their way around the stage. Over was intended to explore the breaking point of an individual, and although the connection felt rather loose conceptually, that didn’t hinder this solid performance from being a great joy to experience.

In a contrasting mood, Diciembre Dance Group’s lovely Kensington Gardens seemed to touch upon an adult yearning for more childlike simplicity. Danced by choreographer Lucía Piquero and Kate Hodder, the piece was both intimate and wonderous while hinting at darker unknowns. Playful choreography was a good balance between gestural and skillful, and the dancers, dressed in pyjamas and knee-socks, interacted well with each other and the material. A little more confident dancing from these able performers would have really taken this piece to the next level.

Taking to the stage for the third time during the weekend, Taciturn began Hang Up your Coat and Stay Awhile with a giggle-inducing discourse that artfully set up girls’ cardigans as the fifth persona on stage for the evening. These talented four are great actresses as well as accomplished dancers, and move with such a relaxed charm that at times you completely forget that what you’re watching is actually a choreographed performance. Their magic way with partnering seems to reflect the closeness of the performers and makes the company feel like a real collaborative. With this completely infectious piece it is easy to see why Taciturn has become a festival favourite.

Kinisi Dance Company presented an ambitious work based on Japanese origami, which fused jazz, lyrical and contemporary movement while experimenting with more traditional East-Asian rituals and forms. Crease capitalised on the beautiful lines and exceptional strength of guest performer Leyla Rees who spent the entire performance high above the company, twisting, turning and posing in a suspended ring and drapes contraption Cirque du Soleil-style. With its heavy styling and strong thematic focus, Crease could have easily verged into kitsch territory, but these well-trained dancers handled the choreography with integrity, ensuring that the overall mood remained serene.

As a special addition to Sunday night’s performances, Jarkko Lehmus drew the festival to an exceptional close with Da Enstunde Ein Engel. Not so much dance as a meditation on the eloquence of moment, this minimal work showed that choreographically-speaking it’s not how much you do but how much thoughtfulness and conviction you fill your work with which matters most. Responding contemplatively to a highly moving modern score inspired by 14th century theology, Jarkko was a majestic lone figure swathed in dramatic blue light. An utterly captivating and terrifically inspiring work that seemed to leave festival-goers (including myself), glued to their seats in thought long after Lehmus had taken his final bows and left the stage.

After such a varied and thoughtful evening of dance and one of its best festival weekends to date, it is a shame that Cloud Dance Festival has been forced to suspend activities for the foreseeable future. The past four years of incredible work by director Chantal Guevara  have surely made a huge difference to dancers, choreographers, and the London dance scene, and without a doubt CDF will be missed.

Reviewed by Lesley Perez of See It. Hear It. Live It. for Cloud Dance Festival