Coronet Theatre, London
March 19, 2025
In Waltz, classical formality is trumped by the emotional surge of Romanticism as the wild passion of the triple meter overwhelms. Saburo Teshigawara gives a full hour of glorious excess in waltz-time. The tiny stage of the Coronet where the audience sit in close proximity, tingled with energy as Teshigawara, dressed all in black, is contrasted with Rihoko Sato in informal white trouser suit, her loose hair, a gentle grey.
The soundtrack to the evening is a rich mix of well-known waltz tunes, those melodies you know so well but infuriatingly can’t remember the titles. The two performers are each, in their own manner, enthralled by the music but their passions are expressed in very different ways.
Photo Akihito Abe
Teshigawara, the older of the pair, directs his emotions inwardly, his body seething with buttoned-down emotion. His movements are bound, the walk almost paraplegic, the gestures strained, before being suddenly interrupted by a fast twirl. His hands retain their full range of expression and deliver a singular conversation. Hands and arms gesticulate, stretching and spreading, or gripping fists tightly in a language of longing and need.
Sato is the free spirit, the one able to embody these desires. She lives the rhythms, her fluid torso finding expression in every muscle. Her arms follow the sweeping trajectory of the dance, her feet barely touching the stage. Moving with speed and grace, she is energy personified.
(here in black suit rather than white)
Photo Akihito Abe
The lighting, designed by Teshigawara, is unobtrusive, shaping the stage in different configurations as the pair work through different shades of meaning. At times they are in shafts of light, individuals sharing the space but each in their own environment. At other times passages of light are illuminated to direct the movement and the drama. There is a complex narrative that underpins the performance and is delivered with total commitment. It holds our attention, but the action moves on swiftly leaving little time to unravel the meaning. Although there is little physical contact, the couple are mentally in complete harmony in a space alive with electricity.
The waltz was the most popular dance form of the nineteenth century and has maintained its popularity ever since. Tchaikovsky, Chopin and notably Johann Strauss the Younger, nicknamed ‘the Waltz king,’ wrote a treasury of tunes in triple meter. The passions the waltz stirred and the close embrace of the couples initially shocked polite society and quite rightly. It’s still a potent force as Teshigawara proves so powerfully in his inimitable fashion.