Roam

Roam delivers a mesmerising combination of dubstep, drum & bass, and contemporary dance. Music from Sam Shackleton and Sion has provided the show with an amazing soundtrack, resulting in the perfect amalgamation of tribal and break-dance influence on the dancers’ movements.

The atmosphere created on stage brings to mind an apocalyptic no-man’s-land where roaming is the only option. The choreography is carefully devised to retain a feeling of spontaneity: although there is fluidity here, the ambience is never calm and the sense of urgency accompanies every movement.

Starting with crawling in the dim-lit surroundings, the dancers become increasingly aggressive in their movements until their shadows loom behind them while they’re facing the light. 

Although full of passion and vigour, the performers are overpowered by the music as their bodies are rendered its instruments. The dancers’ becoming one with the music has a fascinating effect. However, the concepts driving the whole show fade simultaneously with the dancers’ stage presence. The performance remains audio-visually impressive, yet it only offers one prolonged sensation.

Roam’s beauty lies in its constant pulsating energy and the slight touch of immanent terror. Perhaps it’s the eeriness of the set, or the half-lit faces of the dancers, but it’s almost too easy to forget their aimlessness and lose oneself in speculations of what they might be escaping from or running to.