Review: INTO THE HAIRY - SHARON EYAL, Sadler’s Wells

Sharon Eyal and her S-E-D Dance Company return to Sadler's Wells with a UK premiere of INTO THE HAIRY, but if honest, I've definitely seen the material before.

The programme info is clear; “parts of the creation were originally created in the frame of THIS IS NOT A LOVE SHOW (January 2022)”, the world premiere was at Montpellier Danse in June 2023, and I undoubtedly saw swathes of the material in R.O.S.E at Sadler’s Wells East in July this year.

What does this all mean? Personally it feels time for something new. Perhaps a reawakening as opposed to a rethinking…but the content needs to shift/develop. INTO THE HAIRY is 45 minutes long, and while sections may have peaked my interest, the majority of it felt done - regardless of the detail, calibre of the cast and interesting aspects of the original music by Koreless.

Things we've come to expect from Eyal all feature. Slow builds, intricate movement full of joint isolation and powerful sections of unison that see lithe bodies sway and rock. Most of the time the dancers seem trapped inside themselves, with tension bubbling over until it explodes in an uber high extension or a form of breakdown - both physical and mental in performance.

Eyal creates worlds; often dark, mysterious and tinged with sadness. And the troupe don't let her down, communicating total belief in the work from the get go until the final blackout. It often feels like ‘if Tim Burton did dance’ - but I'm afraid this is a double edged sword type compliment. When work is so evocative and stylised it eventually defines itself, becoming a brand of sorts, and what everyone expects - both creators and observers. 

But identity can develop into a self-fulfilling prophecy, and I believe this is where Eyal’s work is currently residing - static rather than shifting. 2025 saw Eyal take up residency at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris for a year long collaboration called Symbiosis, “dedicated to performance” - so perhaps this tenure means 2026 will be the year where a possible reawakening takes shape.

INTO THE HAIRY runs at Sadler’s Wells until 15 November