Carlos Acosta: On Before

Birmingham Hippodrome
May 6, 2024

An homage to his mother, Carlos Acosta’s On Before is a collection of nine contemporary pieces connected by a theme of love, loss and mourning. Right from the moment the audience walk in to be greeted by raindrops projected on the curtain and the sounds of a storm (repeated during the interval), the show has a decidedly melancholic feel. A sad, mournful mood pervades throughout.

On Before depicts a relationship. A mix of solos and duets with Acosta Danza’s Laura Rodríguez, the individual dances sometimes come with a powerful and clear narrative, although it does get a little vague elsewhere. And despite all being created by different choreographers, and mostly on different dancers for different shows, they do feel the same. Perhaps a little too ‘samey.’ Indeed, it’s sometimes even difficult to work out where the breaks are.

On Before opens with Acosta seated in a spotlight, Rodríguez lying at his feet. That same image is repeated just before the end, making what happens between feel like flashback. Starting with Will Tuckett’s title duet, we see the lovers meet, quarrel and part, although the end gives tells us incontrovertibly that she died.

Tuckett’s choreography sets the tone. Acosta and Rodríguez’ connection and trust in one another are evident. There are a lot of sculptural poses from both with arms outstretched. Acosta remains a fantastic partner. His lifts, some overhead, are wonderfully effortless. Alongside that, the equally special Rodríguez comfortably matches him for presence. Often ethereal, she is quite mesmerising. Supremely pliant, her backbends are divine.

Acosta’s best moment comes in Russell Maliphant’s Two. As he dances inside a small square, it’s elegant yet powerful. Elements of tai-chi sit beside more explosive moments. As ever with Maliphant, the lighting plays a vital role, picking out his hands and giving them a life of their own.

Opening the second half, Kim Brandstrup’s Footnote to Ashton, shows Rodríguez off to perfection. Danced amidst a sea of candles, which gives it a very religious tone, the free-flowing choreography matches perfectly the swelling notes of Handel’s reflective and so appropriate ‘Per te lasciai la luce’ (For you I left a light) from the cantata, Da quel giorno fatale (From that fatal day). Incredibly eloquent, her body really speaks.

Quite what the video interlude Falling Deep Inside that follows adds I’m not sure. Directed by Estudio 50 and appearing part-way through the second half, it features a lot of slow-motion close-ups of heads and water on bodies. Think advertisements for shower gel or shampoo, and you have it in one. it comes very close to breaking the show’s spell, although I guess it does give the crew an opportunity to clear those candles.

But things pick up again with Nosotros by Beatriz García and Raúl Reinoso, a duet that depicts all the messiness of real life relationships as the couple’s ups and downs revisited. Love, disagreement, frustration. It’s all there.

Throughout the show, many of the episodes are divided by a tide of people in black walking across the stage in lines. While a useful device, it does become tiresome. The crowd really come into their own at the conclusion, however, when most are revealed to be a choir. The sight of them standing upstage like ghosts is powerful enough, but their singing of Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium as they walk forward is terribly moving. The prone and presumably now dead Rodgríguez rises and joins them as if her soul has been freed. As she and they fade away, Acosta is left sitting on a stool, grief writ large, staring at the spot where she had been.

He may now be in his 50s, but Carlos Acosta remains not only a wonderful dancer, but also one with great charisma. He may have wisely given up the princely roles but certainly still has much to offer. He was a fine Apollo only twelve months ago. It will be interesting to see how long he continues to perform as well as direct. Following on from last year’s Covent Garden celebration, it’s easy to foresee an ‘Acosta at 55’ show in a few years’ time. There certainly seems no reason to call it a day just yet.