Rambert Event, Southbank - dance review

Dancers on stage can seem like perfect instruments of artistic creation. Dancers in the flesh are actually sweating, panting, effortful humans, and it's really fascinating to meet these latter creatures.

This Rambert Event is a chance to do just that. Taking place in the company’s new building, behind the National Theatre on the South Bank, it’s inspired by choreographer Merce Cunningham’s Event series, where excerpts of works are performed promenade style in unconventional venues.

Rambert are proud custodians of Cunningham’s work and here perform extracts of 10 of his works, accompanied by new music by Radiohead drummer Philip Selway and backed by designs by Gerhard Richter — his computerised paint-spatter/camouflage schtick making some stylish unitards.

The dancers perform in the lofty studios and the audience are free to wander in between, a drop-in tactic that works for a choreographer whose work never seemed to have beginnings and endings anyway. Created using chance principles, the music and dance only came together days before the performance, which leads to moments of serendipity — the unexpected conjunction of a poignant melody being played on the saw while a clan of dancers thunder across the floor is unexpectedly moving.

There’s warmth and pleasure in Cunningham’s pure geometry and admiration for the huge strength and control of Rambert’s dancers. When you’re close enough to see chests rising and drops of sweat fall to the floor that’s a real privilege.

Until July 12 (020 8630 0600, rambert.org.uk)