Review: Roots of Rumba, Trinity

Starting my evening with a free dance class in the stunning Grafitti Room at Trinity is never a bad thing.  Seven of us bravely stumble and trip through the beginnings of Rumba, being encouraged by Iris de Brito to access our primordial roots as we learn about the origins, phrases and tempo.

I curse not wearing a long, flowy skirt to dance with.  The class is a lovely introduction to the performance in Trinity’s Fyfe Hall, during which Ella Mesma takes us on a journey through Afro-Cuban dance in all its guises.

Bristol-born Ella comperes the evening, starting with Ladylike, a piece of her own.  Ella comes from a background in Afro-Latin, breaking and contemporary dance, and her opening piece leads on from the Rumba history we learned in class. Ella is an on point and elegant dancer, giving us an emotive explanation of the gender roles implicit in rumba, reflected in society at large.

Sandra Passirani’s next piece, Mine or Theirs, starts with a kiss soundtrack and herself dressed as an overly sexualised woman blowing up a red balloon.  Which pops.  She has a vogue like demeanour – sexualised with a certain amount of irony.  Her erotic salsa and floor work are controlled and beautiful in its sad irony.

Rock and roll music merges into spoken word misogynist quotes, during which dress, heels, pink fish nets, make up and fake lashes are removed to a quiet but suggestive West African background soundtrack – Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara.  She gets changed onstage, bra and all, from a black mini-dress to a sparkly white loose tunic.  Which is so beautiful.

We listen to the shocking, almost funny misogynist soundtrack as she calmly braids her hair.  So good.  So effective.  Her movement as the final track sets in is different in her new garb: free, soulful, primal, strong, curls bouncing – it makes me happy.  She is still at the end, and it’s so poignant.

Next, another strong solo female performer, Trinity resident Latisha Cesar.  (There is no shortage of these tonight!). Latisha starts as a white clad Haitian mama moving with skill to Boukan Ginen’s Haitian choral rhythms. Under the long skirt she reveals jeans and removes the headscarf to reveal dreads. Donning a wide sun hat she grinds a mortar, denoting slavery and hard work.

Dancing elsewhere on stage she dons white trainers but gets shot down, denoting modern day society struggles. With emotion she finished by waving the Haitian flag, and carrying each of her props off stage very slowly for full emotive effect.  Latisha’s The Story Is Too Long is ironically a short but impassioned performance, that is explained more in the ensuing chat between Ella and Latisha.  The two met here in Bristol at the Dance Exchange, and discuss how it is the first time these styles have been seen properly on stage.  We’re a lucky audience!

Rise Youth Dance close the first half with a reminder that it is carnival-eve.  Almost 20 young people get the audience whooping with two dances that are called by one young man, like square dance for the international generation.  Skilled Afro-centric dance moves into dancehall style moves for the second piece, and suddenly the floor starts bouncing and the audience are very involved!  If their enthusiasm is not enough, they lead us to the bar for intermission drinks with a conga.

After the break we see a very different side to our teacher from the introductory class – Iris De Brito.  She’s a second generation salsa dancer, and that history shows.  Iris starts with layers of cloth, one of which is a robe that she dons, suggesting her heritage.

From layered movements to rumba beats, we see her tell a story of cultural layers of an onion, and the identity crisis that can come from that.  You see skill in her shoulders and hips, and a sadness in her eyes.  The talk between Iris and Ella afterwards tells us her origin is in Angola, and the piece, as the audience probably guessed, is about the pull of diaspora.

Next a beautiful man appears, with one half of his hair black, the other white.  Franck Arnaud-Lusbec from Martinique moves through traditional dances where you can glimpse the roots of capoeira and rumba, to beautiful contemporary break beats, drumming out the change of tides.  Franck is athletic and controlled, and is probably a star to watch.

Lastly, two conga drums are placed on stage, and the audience become audibly excited.  We witness a singing Berimbao (a single-string gourd instrument) and a mastery of the drum from musician Franklin Santos.  Franklin certainly makes that drum skin work for its central position on stage.

Myriam Gadri’s The Lost Goddess brings back three previously seen amazing dancers.  Myriam from Ella’s Ladylike, Ella herself, and Sandra Passirani.  Sandra is in a very different role and outfit to her last appearance, but still emanating freedom.  We see a story unfold, one reminiscent of many a traditional worldview:  The gods wait for the perfect human act.  And in this piece we learn that that act is to be a part of a partnership, a team with another human, as harmony wins the admiration of the gods.  This is true of the plot and the choreography, as the three dancers wow the audience with their skill, musical mastery and strength as they move together through some stunning dances.

This piece by Myriam is a fabulous end to a great night, and should be seen – it’s part of the Roots of Rumba tour visiting five UK cities in July, go see it!

For upcoming performances at Trinity, visit www.3ca.org.uk/whats-on