A dazzling swimming pool-based Kathak dance, synchronised swimming and live music spectacular, Synchronised recently got back in the water for Southbank’s Alchemy 2015.
The show was originally commissioned and first performed as a flagship event of Yorkshire’s 2012 Cultural Olympiad programme. It has since toured the UK supported by Arts Council England’s Strategic Touring Funding, and was restaged for four sell-out performances at Southbank Centre’s Alchemy Festival.
BSDC’s trademark ability to engage diverse partners proved invaluable as The Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust were brought on board: the Alchemy performances were presented at the Trust’s Orchard Lisle pool.
Synchronised takes audiences on a vibrant journey around the world, encountering sea serpents and magnificent rivers, and paying homage to Busby Berkeley’s legendary ‘water musicals’ of the 40s and 50s. Combining synchronised swimming, live music, Kathak and contemporary dance, Synchronised is an unforgettable celebration of culture and sport; a must-see experience for the whole family.
“Rich religious references are matched by popular ones. ‘Serpents of Hollywood’ recalls the athleticism of synchronised swimming with Busby Berkeley-inspired abstractions of moving bodies. Jazzy saxophone riffs are joined by flute, piano, guitar, cello and mridangam to transport us to new places. We are taken on musical as well as movement journeys, with the rhythmic interplay of dancer and musician in ‘Splash’ focusing the digi-dah and ta-kita at the core of Kathak.”
Stacey Prickett (Pulse Magazine)