Review: AUGMENTED – Dance Powered by MAM + AISOMA at Sadler’s Wells East

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Genuine, brave dancing

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There was something in the air on Friday night…and it wasn't just pollen! One could describe it as the school show of all school shows - but that might be doing it a disservice. Enter the room AUGMENTED: Dance powered by MAM + AISOMA , a collaboration between Juilliard, Rambert School and Studio Wayne McGregor .

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Rambert (London) and Juilliard (New York) are two of the finest contemporary dance institutions going, and McGregor we all know. The three powerhouses have been working on a year-long project that culminated in the 1 May premiere, and based on what I saw it has been extremely worthwhile.

When it comes to recognition of the choreography things get a little tricky. The blurb states it was “choreographed by Sir Wayne McGregor , utilising his radical choreographic thinking tools – Mind and Movement (MAM) and the Google Arts and Culture machine learning collaboration AISOMA” and then further down, the choreography credits read:“Choreography Wayne McGregor , Odette Hughes, Louis McMiller, Jessica Wright , Rebecca Bassett-Graham in collaboration with the dancers.”

So from what I can tell that means we have two AI softwares, five choreographers (including McGregor) and 33 (student) dancers all deserving credit for the choreography. Remember the days when there was just one?!

I recently saw a disappointing (for me) triple bill of McGregor's work at the Royal Ballet and Opera, and the AUGMENTED experience couldn't be more different. It felt fresh, relevant, exciting and inspiring.

A lot of this is down to the dancers. When you catch a graduating student at the right time you're basically in the presence of a dancer reaching one of their career peaks. Foundational technique is in a very good place and the desire to dance/explore is at fever pitch. Couple this with the fact that professional career complexities haven't yet raised their ugly head - what you witness is dance in its rawest form. Joy, risk, connectivity, physicality - all there by the bucket load and it was a wonder to observe.

Add to this absolutely banging music by Sound Artist/DJ, DJ Yraki and you're absolutely winning. It started a bit loosely…but after about five minutes the beat kicked in and off we went. Yraki fleeted between hard house and something more chill/vocal - but throughout there was rhythm and phrasing which the dance lived within very happily!

To the movement. The only down side for me was too many periods of extended slow motion phrasing. The power of dynamics are often found in relationships…so endless slow-mo can feel like it's going nowhere.

However, when it was good - it was very good. Shifting moods, fizzing jumps, hypnotic patterning; solos full of risk and abandon, duos and trios with original, exploratory partnering, group worked that consumed space and level and throughout all of it - such genuine, brave dancing.

At one point a female dancer was doing a speedy, turning sequence and she very nearly wiped out. Her reaction? She looked at her duo partner, stifled a giggle, and continued to whip up a frenzy like nothing had happened - now that's what I call dancing. Unaffected, genuine dancing!

I didn't even mind the use of hyper extension. Why? Because it meant something within the phrase - a moment of suspension before a fall, tension in a duo etc. Not just endless empty stretching or repetitive manipulation. I much prefer it being used with intention.

The night was a very successful one, and I hope all involved, including the directors of the schools feel extremely proud. This level of work isn't course fodder - these young learners have experienced something they'll never forget; and neither will I probably. That's the power of dance when it's good.

In regard to credit where credit is due - I'm all for democracy, but 40 potential choreographers feels quite mad. It beats Matthew Bourne ’s handful by almost three dozen. But perhaps this is where we are now - brand names working with larger (dance) creative teams…it seems the art world concept à la Ai Weiwei has arrived in dance.

AUGMENTED: Dance powered by MAM + AISOMA was performed at Sadler’s Wells East on 1-2 May

Photo Credits: Yiling Zhao

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Review-AUGMENTED-DANCE-POWERED-BY-MAM-AISOMA-Sadlers-Wells-East-20260505)._