For four days, Rambert and (La)Horde Ballet National de Marseille take over the Royal Festival Hall (RFH) and Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) in a choreographic odyssey—a three-hour immersive performative exhibition featuring films and live performances, viewable at your own pace.
As the audience moved through the venue, the experience would evolve, shifting between intimate observations, voyeurism and broader perspectives through the architectural elements.
At the RFH, the main public space, “office” rooms and landings between the stairs were used to screen films and live performances. The films provided insight into (La) Horde’s collaborative methods, highlighting their opposition to hierarchical structures and their focus on fostering interconnections and cooperation between individuals, communities and performers. However, I believe there were missed opportunities to leverage the RFH’s space for a more inventive and immersive theatrical experience.
The live vignettes and video works, unfortunately, felt disjointed. Utilising all three floors diminished the connectedness of the performances, and the numerous video screens often appeared more as placeholders than integral components. The description of the installations was somewhat misleading, as they primarily consisted of standard video projections or media screens rather than truly conceptualised installations. When I asked the invigilators about the location of the installation, I was met with a deadpan response, “It’s the video.” The performance Cultes/Baptêmes, at the main auditorium, the concept of reversing the audience to the stage and the installation/performance to the seating area held potential for a playful engagement with the iconic concert hall; however, the execution felt undeveloped and somewhat clichéd.
After an hour of exploring the architectural and performative structure, the experience shifted to a new level as we entered QEH. Walking took us through backstage corridors and stairs, past the installed Rambert and Ballet National de Marseille Costume archive. At the main stage, 3 pieces Hop(e)storm, (La)Horde, Concerto, Lucinda Childs and Us, Benoit Swan Pouffer were performed 3 times each over the 3 hours. For two of the pieces, the audience was permitted to enter from backstage and sit on the stage, which was set up as a traditional performance space. Hop(e)storm, a 15-minute collaborative dance piece created for Rambert. The dancers explored intimacy, equality, freedom, and consent through interlocking movements of Lindy hop energy and post-internet rave aesthetics with physical endurance. What began as disconnected interloop activated the viewers to become participating voyeurs of the world of (La)Horde.
In the foyer, Low Rider, Room With A View (Excerpts), and Weather is Sweet were performed on repeat. The latter explored the interplay of intimacy, violence, consent, and sexually playful absurdity. Bodies moved in an interplay between cultural references, dance hall, contemporary dance and intimate moments of the club scene. Duets transformed bodies into fluid formations of touch and rhythmic unity, where bouncing bottoms evoked a sense of “perverted Pilates” exercise balls, and arching backs transitioned into a “bedroom rodeo play.”
The repeated movements and explored formations across all pieces tightened the complete structure, creating a cohesive experience. Witnessing the six other performances at RFH with intensity, the performers pushed the boundaries of physical expressions, reinforcing the sense of shared voices and unity.
The recurring themes of the digital age, archival moves, avatar love, and hip grinding junctions were repeatedly reformatted and presented with rhythmic hypnoses. This created a futuristic loop of the past, suggesting a cycle that repeated in new formations, emphasising the ongoing evolution of the concepts.
The outside ongoing performance, The Master’s Tools, commented on our current political status, where silencing is met by action, a nod to the contemporary and past canalised movement within dance culture. An interwoven mix of social dance forms, modern and ballet, bridged the two spaces, RFH and QEH. “The Beast,” a parked limo, became a powerful symbol with its phrase “We are the People” emblazoned on the side. Dancers leaned against its metal body and “kissing its ass”, serving as a poignant reminder of the authoritarian world we inhabit. This tableau of protesters continuously spray-painted “tomorrow” on the street, only for “zombie-state” workers to drive ‘rider-floor scrubbers’ over it. Erasing the slogans and statements of the people over and over again indicates a cyclical suppression of dissent.
This performance exhibition reminded me of Marina Abramović Institute Takeover (2023), which utilised every corner of a single building for performances. I highly recommend seeing the performance during its short run to experience (La) Horde’s visionary choreography and feel the dancers’ vibrations up close. I would have liked to see video works that are more immersive and feature innovative arrangements with the performers throughout QEH/RFH. This could have better utilised the theatrical and conceptual potential of the two architectures, deepening the connection between the visual art aspect and the performative.
If you get tickets, I suggest focusing on the dance pieces; I could have easily spent another three hours watching the 15 live performances.
Roberto Ekholm
Artist, curator and writer
WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER WALKED ON THE MOON
A choreographic exhibition by (La)Horde with Ballet National de Marseille & Rambert
Wednesday 3 – Saturday 6 September 2025
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