SAMPLED

A review by Vada Green

Sadler’s Wells’ annual dance taster festival Sadler’s Wells Sampled returned for 2019, featuring world-class performances and a series of workshops and activities on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 February.

A regular fixture at Sadler’s Wells since 2007, Sadler’s Wells Sampled showcases a wide variety of dance, from ballet to waacking, and contemporary dance to classical Indian dance.

I was kindly asked if I wanted to attend Sampled at Sadler’s Wells for a night of dancing and mingling. There were a lot of performances throughout the night which I enjoyed immensely but these are some of the few I loved the most.

Mavin Khoo, who was accompanied by four musicians, was inspiring. I wasn’t sure what to expect as the lights went down and the music began to play. However, after a while, Mavin came out of the shadows with a beautiful and seemingly effortless routine full of emotion.
I felt really calm and at peace the whole way through the performance. I wanted to leap up and join in because it made me feel so calm that I just wanted to be up there with him teaching me. If I had to pick a favourite performance, this was it. The fluid movements combined with how in tune his body was, mesmerised me.

The performance from the Semperoper Ballet was gorgeous and also calming and graceful. You could tell they were telling a story with their bodies and it just fit all together like a jigsaw puzzle. The outfits were also pretty amazing to look at too!

Rambert2 performed an upbeat, if slightly harsh routine with excellent choreography. I have no idea how they managed to remember so many moves!

The start felt very odd and disturbing, however. The music was giving me a headache so I couldn’t concentrate on anything. The second part they were more in sync with each other and it reminded me of one big community, like they were overcoming the negative at the beginning. You could tell they were so passionate about what they were doing and their movements were so fluid, as if they were moving as one.

Flamenco dancer Patricia Guerrero certainly delivered with her witty performance with drummer and singer in hand. The routine was funny, light hearted yet fuelled with ambition. This piece was beautifully executed and I loved her technique. You could feel her drive and passion within the dance and her movements were so beautifully choreographed.

It’s amazing to think how much time, effort and pure dedication go into these lengthy performances. These people are expressing their art to an audience who were grateful to receive it. I thoroughly enjoyed every second.

From start to finish, I felt at ease, like I was transported to another world full of passion and creativity. The staff were helpful and the overall experience I enjoyed, even if it wasn’t at all what I expected. It was better! I would definitely recommend going to an event such as this, whether you love dance or you’re a complete newbie!