Review: COMPAGNIE HERVÉ KOUBI at George Mason's Center For The Arts

French dance company Compagnie HERVÉ KOUBI premiered Sol Invictus at George Mason on Saturday night, a seventy-minute piece that blends contemporary moves with acrobatics, breakdance, and capoeira. A kinetic work for eighteen dancers, mostly men, Sol Invictus, according to choreographer Koubi is intended to be “a rite that we will invent at each performance to celebrate that we are alive.” 

While the dancers’ joy was clear, as well as their proficiency, the choreography largely dragged, creating an atmosphere of ennui rather than sparking vitality. The propulsive, often minimalist score by Mikael Karlsson, Maxime Bodson and Steve Reich suggested the work was forever moving, but where? Instead, the repetition was stale rather than propulsive. I thought multiple times that perhaps this was the end, when in fact the dance had hardly started. This uneven pacing made the work feel much longer than its actual duration, never a good sign. 

The dancers are stunning - brilliant movers who charge across the stage with wild abandon. Their strength is visible first in their bodies (lots of bare skin) and then in their technique, as they lift and toss each other and their limbs in every direction. 

Choreographically Sol Invictus is one note; dancers in duos perform a short phrase, counterbalanced by another duo and while another dancer slashes madly through the space, flipping, jumping or spinning on repeat. It’s beautiful but simply…. boring after awhile. 

The few moments stood out as worthy of further exploration. The opening running sequence is exquisite, with dancers charging across the stage in a circle, pitched forward with intensity, as if they would fall the moment they stopped running. The company also used a giant golden piece of fabric to compelling effect at different times, shrouding dancers and creating visually stunning moments. I also enjoyed hearing the dancers’ voices at different points as they yipped and shrieked ecstatically; it felt unscripted and an authentic expression of the work’s intended joy. 

Runtime: 70 minutes with no intermission

Photo credits: Nathalie Sternalski