How did we get here? review: Mel C takes on a new form with conviction

From Spice World to the bare sets and bodystockings of contemporary dance: Spice Girl Melanie C takes on a new form with complete conviction in Jules Cunningham’s how did we get here?. It’s an austere, uneven piece, but dancers Cunningham, Harry Alexander and their starry guest have a shared focus and camaraderie.

Cunningham, who first made their name as a dancer with the Merce Cunningham company, mixes pure dance and an interest in identity. They make no concessions to the world of showbiz, though fans might be reassured when Mel C gets the first solo sequence. How did we get here? started and ends with questions: performers in the studio, working out the different ways they move and feel.

It’s danced in the round, with the audience on stage as well as in the auditorium, gathered around a shiny black floor. Stevie Stewart, formerly of fashion label Bodymap, dresses the three dancers in dappled lycra, blue-greens for Cunningham and Alexander, with Mel C in sunset orange. Nina Simone sings “Stars” as the lights come up, a disco ball sending a whirl of lights around the stage.

With its focus on pure movement, Cunningham’s choreography is exposing – but it’s also all about being in the body, and Mel C is absolutely grounded in herself. It’s no surprise that she has a great stage face and confident presence. She meets this new style with openness and honesty.

She doesn’t try to “act” the poses: reaching up, she lets the movement blossom naturally, gestures supported from a strong core. She’s less sure in complex transitional moves, but she never fakes or strains. And there’s a lovely warmth in her interactions with Cunningham and Alexander, whether they’re winding around each other or trading sung phrases, tapping out patterns on the floor.

open image in gallery

The music shifts from Wibke Tiark’s electronic hums to snatches of song: Henry Purcell, Janis Ian’s contrasting recording of “Stars”. At one point, Cunningham appears with an electric guitar, before wandering off again. The piece is good at being in the moment, weaker on pacing and momentum; it returns to ideas without necessarily moving them forward.

The dancers, and the sense of connection between them, are its best quality. Harry Alexander, known for his brilliant work with Michael Clark, is superb. There’s a glowing power to his movements, limbs unfolding with radiant ease. The three performers may not have all the answers, but the questions are heartfelt.

‘how did we get here?’ runs at Sadler’s Wells until 29 January