One of the great joys of any art form is in being taken out of the everyday into a new realm of possibilities. This is a realm where surprise and delight are the superfoods of artistic endeavour. Whilst some artists use their talent to challenge, others will lead, taking us around a corner to where we might discover an unexpected and novel landscape. So whilst poetry can take words we know the meaning of and arrange them in unfamiliar ways that hint at meanings beyond the literal, creating metaphors we live by, so Eun-Me-Ahn gives us fleeting moments of recognition – the angle of a foot or wrist movement that reminds us of a figure we may have seen, perhaps a religious or secular artefact that gives us an anchor of meaning. We seem to understand without knowing why. Her South Korean based company has been touring for decades, but only now tours to the UK with a company of dancers drawn from across the Far East; South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia.

Dragons blends the traditional and modern, Western and Eastern styles of dance in an exuberant gallimaufry of sound and colour. Western notions of dragons must be put aside when we consider the meanings woven into Eun-Me-Ahn’s work since they represent a more benign force in Korean culture, often associated with sources of water and agriculture. They are woven into mythology for their spiritual power and association with joy, exuberance and justice. To have a sighting of a proto dragon, an Imugi, is a portent of good luck. These Imugi are featured throughout the work in the form of brilliant silver ducting which flows rather like a child’s slinky and form a backdrop to the otherwise bare stage. Bare that is, apart from the near invisible gauze that separates stage from audience and onto which virtual dancers are projected. At other times the dancers, both real and virtual are seen to be swimming underwater.

The technical mastery of the projections, which synchronise with the music, sound and dancers is a marvel to behold. The music and sound compositions by Young-Gyu Yang enhance the occasional strangeness (to Western ears) and help transport us into the realm of the dragon. Costume and movement again hint at other-worldliness, surreal, enchanting. A headdress, a kind of fascinator for ladies day at Ascot, but seen in a psychedelic trance. Another, a kind of hat with a sailing ship on top, the wearer dressed in a shimmering and billowing silver shift. Or a four-legged creature struggling into birth, these are the striking images that are wrought by the dazzling artistry of the dancers.

To see the show is truly to step into another realm.

★★★★★ Graham Wyles  26 March 2025