Saturday 26th August Archives -

September 4, 2017September 4, 2017

BREVIEW: Hypnotic Brass Ensemble @ Hawker Yard 27.08.17

Words & Pics by Cesilia Trecaquista

On an unusually hot and pleasant bank holiday Sunday evening, I set out to Hawker Yard with my partner from a far off land – determined to demonstrate that Birmingham, with its rich musical and cultural history, could rival anything that the capital could offer.

Hawker Yard is a relatively new venue, or at least new for me; ingeniously crafted using a mixture of scaffolding and shipping containers (who knows how they got that concept past the health and safety regulators), the inventive lighting arrangements made it an inviting yet unpretentious atmosphere.

As the night continues, I watch breakdancers perform to the funk and soul provided by DJ Silence (I always did wonder where one could go to do a bit of breakdancing after the beloved Yardbird closed its doors in 2014) but I’m struck by how few people there are in attendance. Could the low turnout be down the fact that many Brummies had escaped to the beach to take advantage of the sunny weather, or more likely to Shambala Festival? I choose to believe either of these options over the alternative; that a group of internationally renowned musicians from Chicago had come to play and tickets costing just £10.50 hadn’t been taken advantage of.

It’s nearing 10.30pm now and still no sign of Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – the nine piece brass collective consisting of the sons of the Jazz trumpeter, Phil Cohran. The small, but happy and chilled out, audience’s anticipation becomes more and more eager, as I try to ignore the nice man beside me who is informing me that Hypnotic Brass Ensemble wanted tonight’s show after being tired from their Shambala performance the previous night.

Then, as if by magic, a plethora of musicians, dancers and a sound engineer cram themselves onto the stage in front of me – easing us into the show with a smooth number, before directing us all to make peace signs and introducing an explosive version of the track ‘War’, arguably Hypnotic Brass Ensemble‘s most recognisable composition (‘War’ was featured on the movie soundtrack of The Hunger Games).

The intimate party at Hawker Yard is in full swing by the time the appropriately named ‘Party Started’ was underway. Gabriel Hubert (A.K.A Huddah) invites us to partake in what turned out to be some amusingly out of tune sing-alongs, whilst breakdancers once again take to the floor and complement the unique artistry taking place on stage.

At times, watching 10 men crammed into a makeshift shipping container stage seems surreal. But the lack of performance space does nothing to stifle the infectious energy that radiates from an impeccably coordinated and rehearsed group of musicians, who, when in full flow and seemingly without breaking a sweat, provide an instrumental hotpot of jazz, swing and hip-hop.

And as the evening comes to a close, I leave Hawker Yard feeling satisfied that my partner and I had been in a great place for Birmingham entertainment this Bank Holiday Sunday night.

For more on Hypnotic Brass Enselble, visit www.hypnoticbrassensemble.com

For more from Hawker Yard, visit www.hawkeryardbirmingham.co.uk

August 31, 2017August 31, 2017

BREVIEW: Time in Motion @ Crescent Theatre 25.08.17

Words by Lucy Mounfield / Pic by Tim Cross

On the 25^th of August, the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain (NYB) celebrated their 30^th anniversary by performing Time in Motion at the Crescent Theatre in Birmingham – a collection of seven short ballets based around the theme of time. A captivating programme of choreography and performances, Time in Motion is delivered by some of the UK’s most eminent professionals and rising dynamic protégées – not least from Elmhurst School of Dance in Edgbaston.

Time in Motion is an apt title in many ways. Firstly, it represents and celebrates the ethos behind the National Youth Ballet – that of an educative and talent fostering institution who have been bolstering young ballet protégées for 30 years. Secondly, the title and programme reference the ever changing world and dynamics of ballet.

Ballet is itself a physical movement, and over the last few years the way ballet is formed and shaped has changed dramatically; the classical syntax of gesticulation, partner work and extreme en-pointe footwork has been remoulded by a new wave of dramatists, choreographers and dancers.

Opening with Christopher Hampson’s abstract ballet Carnival, the evening started on a fun note, although ultimately the choreography lacked the emotional connection to make the piece truly stand out. Although I enjoyed the can–can sequence, where the company danced round in a circle whilst lifting their tutus to reveal a colourful under layer. This created a wonderful image of a large flower blowing in the wind and did portray the sense of colour and excitement felt at a carnival. Next, Jonathan Payn’s IKEN and Samira Saidi’s Aspirations referenced the more classical style with the corps de ballet and excellent partner work, but at the same time managing to appear completely fresh and new.

For the junior company, Louise Bennett’s Frosty Fable epitomised the confluence of styles well as she choreographed her piece to the Coppélia score by Leo Delibes. Marius Petipa’s Coppélia is a classic of the ballet canon and a mainstay in the repertoires of both Birmingham Royal Ballet and The Royal Ballet. Bennett told the story of two quarrelling siblings who find themselves segregated and taunted by other young children on a cold winter’s day. This ultimately brought the two siblings together. The young cast were fantastic.

The choreography for Steamboat Summer – a short ballet from Birmingham Royal Ballet’s First Artist Ruth Brill, expressed a connection with George Balanchine, who during the twentieth century took classicism and streamlined it with a heightened sense of musicality and muscular movement. Set aboard a transatlantic cruise liner, Steamboat Summer evokes the effervescent heady days of the roaring 20s with flapper dresses and art deco set; the sharp comedic choreography during the swimming and dancing sections reminded me of Kenneth Macmillan’s Elite Syncopations – bold taut lines with rhythmic comedic phrasing matching the jazz score.

Ruth Brill’s previous short ballet, Arcadia (her first main-stage commission premiered at Birmingham Hippodrome in June), told the story of Pan and his transition from God to ruler of Arcadia. Brill’s narrative driven choreography drew parallels with Frederick Ashton’s The Dream but was unable to fully express the emotional psychological transition of Pan and instead harked back to the tradition of Ashton’s romantic gesturing. Unlike Arcadia, Steamboat Summer’s loose narrative enabled Brill to set the scene and explore the comedic/romantic ideas of travelling aboard a cruise liner.

Etta Murfitt’s Oklahoma Dream – inspired by the ‘Dream Ballet’ from the musical Oklahoma! – collides ballet with a musical theatre troupe, in an all-dancing and no singing production number that reflects the themes of time and motion. Here the lines between ballet and musical theatre blur; dreams have no sense of time or reality and Murfitt’s ballet represents this disconnect, with the frenzied scene changes alluding to the dream like quality of the piece. Set in 1950s America, the dancers wore 50s style tea dresses and cowboy attire, resembling an American hoedown with female dancers being twirled like a merry-go-round.

Amidst the crowd are two young dancers who fall in love and decide to marry, only for one jealous cowboy to steal one of them away to a drinking den. This latter sequence became darker and more sinister, with two strutting ballerinas clad in black leather, marching round her drinking and cavorting with the other male dancers. This scene was evocative of the dream sequence in Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse’s 1950s film The Band Wagon, where Astaire enters a seedy jazz den looking for Charisse who entices him with her raunchy dancing. In the end, as in The Band Wagon, a fight ensues and the dream is resolved with the girl getting her true love in the end.

By far the most abstract of all the ballets from Time in Motion, and my personal favourite, was Rambert graduate Arielle Smith’s T-Symmetry – a performance that looked boldly into the future with a human Vs robot theme. The black background and projections of oscillating shapes created a dark dystopian tone to the piece, whilst the fast-paced score made up of electronic clicks, squeaks and buzzes heightened the intensity of the theme.

The main protagonist jutted and jerked across the stage, with the corps de ballet fixed on the opposite side suggesting the principal was the odd one out. The robot versus the humans. The choreography was very athletic; working close to the floor dancers used every part of their body to produce interesting and bold images of the struggle of the human evolution.

All in all, the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain’s Time in Motion proved that time itself is fluid thing. With these contemporary ballets comes an understanding of the themes of the past; Time in Motion is therefore an apt survey of the influences upon contemporary ballet, as well as the changes ballet has incurred over the years.

For more on the National Youth Ballet, visit www.nationalyouthballet.org

For more from Crescent Theatre, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.crescent-theatre.co.uk

August 25, 2017

BPREVIEW: Bank Holiday Weekender @ Hawker Yard 25- 27.08.17

Hawker Yard is bringing a Bank Holiday Weekend live music special to Birmingham, 25-27^th August. Beginning with Blak Twang + Mr Thing and culminating with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, the al-fresco eatery is celebrating the long weekend with a combination of dirty beats and delicious food.

Birmingham’s first purpose built street food centre, Hawker Yard opened in 2016. Founded by Brum Yum Yum’s Duncan Stanley, the shipping container and scaffolding structure (somewhat dubiously described as ‘cargotecture’) aimed to bring some ramshackle permanence to Brum’s emerging street food scene.

Styled with lanterns and lights, the formerly derelict yard now houses a variety of bar areas, lounging and eating options. The Pershore Road site was, however, put up for sale earlier this year as Stanley was seeking to relocate and recreate his East London vibe in, er, London.

Now promoters Feel the Vibe and Hawker Yard LIVE have combined to devise a Bank Holiday Weekender to tempt the ears as well as the taste buds: renowned turntablist DJ Mr. Thing and British rapper Blak Twang kick off the weekender with a ‘till late party promising street dance performances and scratching aplenty.

Saturday will see Sneaker Hawks launch the city’s newest ‘vintage, kicks and urban clothes’ event, with some of the £3 entry price supporting Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Non-shoppers wishing to indulge in some weekend philanthropy should appreciate the graffiti art, break dancing and fresh food, if not the ‘fresh garms’.

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, the seven sons of jazz trumpeter Phil Cohran, will round off the weekend. The group has real pedigree, having recorded and performed with the likes of MosDef, Wu Tang Clan, Prince, Childish Gambino, Maxwell, Erykah Badu, Gorillaz, and, of course, their father. No doubt their big eclectic sound, encompassing hip hop, jazz, funk and calypso will boom around Hawker Yard: the promoters promise a ‘bloc party vibe’ and the South Chicago band is likely to deliver with their delectable ‘hypnotic’ style.

Birmingham Review last saw Hypnotic Brass Ensemble at The Glee Club back in June 2015, click here to read the BREVIEW from Helen Knott with pics from Ella Carman.

For more on BLAK TWANG & DJ MR THING at Hawker Yard (Fri 25^th), click here.

For more on the Sneaker Hawks launch party at Hawker Yard (Sat 26^th), click here.

For more on the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble at Hawker Yard (Sun 27^th), click here.

For more from Hawker Yard, visit www.hawkeryardbirmingham.co.uk