Resolution Festival Review – FRI 10 JAN 2025

by Sumi Xiaomei Cheng

The Place, London.

Duran ‘Dee Dee’ Abdullah ANIMA

Vasiliki Papapostolou aka Tarantism Lucid Absurdities

Salvatore De Simone Ombra mai fu

The 35th Resolution Festival began with Duran ‘Dee Dee’ Abdullah’s solo dance Anima. A striking chair sculpture resembling Medusa crossed with WALL-E’s Eve added a facet of Greek mythology to the performance. Wearing a Pierrot costume, Duran displayed captivating arm and finger choreography—shway dance style—reminiscent of Chinese folk dancer Yang Liping’s famous choreography in The Spirit of the Peacock. While it’s unclear if this was intentional, it introduced an intriguing layer to the techno music lyric, “What are you hiding behind that mask?” Despite a compelling start, the piece lost momentum midway, with an unclear narrative which made the staging seem underdeveloped. However, it was a confident performance with great potential.

Salvatore De Simone’sOmbra Mai Fu continued the evening’s Greek classics theme with a trio of capable dancers from Wayne McGregor’s company. The use of lighting created picturesque, scenic images, and the simple costumes complemented the performance beautifully. David Laurence Westcott’s music supported the choreography well, though moments of high-frequency tones caused discomfort for sensitive ears, likely unintentionally. While the choreography was technical and elegant blending ballet and contemporary styles, the frequent arabesques felt overused, leaving one to wonder if they served a clear purpose. Despite these points, the story unfolded gracefully with strong visual impact, though the loud high-frequency tones in parts of the music were a significant distraction.

Lucid Absurdities, a dance duet choreographed by Vasiliki Papapostolou aka Tarantism, was the standout of the evening. Set in an airport frame story, the piece transitioned into three distinct dream-like sections, blending pedestrian movement with exceptional dance, staging and lighting. Overall the choreography included graceful yet realistic falls, breakdancing with clockwork-like precision, and visceral partner work. Themes of aggression, desire, agency, and animalistic movement were deeply explored. Christopher Nas’s original music composition, ranging from classical to contemporary, added depth, making this a captivating and multifaceted performance.

To conclude, the opening night of Resolution Festival was a fantastic event and set an exciting tone for the weeks ahead.

Resolution Festival 2025 at The Place – London Contemporary Dance School. The original review on this page (and its companion review) can be found at: https://theplace.org.uk/blogs-stories/fri-10-jan