Dance Nation at The Almeida

When the play opens to a troupe of dancers doing a routine whilst dressed as escapees from an early production of South Pacific, I wasn’t aware the actors of various ages were actually portraying pre-teens.  However, it soon becomes clear that this troupe, comprising six girls and a boy, are full of teenage angst.  The angst is heightened because the world of American dance competition is fierce and intense and it’s this world that Clare Barron is highlighting in her new play, Dance Nation, currently playing at The Almeida.

Spurred on by their dance teacher, Pat (Brendan Cowell) to be the ‘best in show’ at their next local dance competition, the troupe do their utmost to put together a tribute to Gandhi.  And this despite the fact that the majority of them have never heard of the man.  The slightly creepy and very camp Pat has a favourite pupil, Amina (Karla Crome) who, not surprisingly, happens to be the star dancer (funny that).  She is driven as well as gifted, which doesn’t help her friend, Zuzu (Ria Zmitrowicz) who, desperate to pursue dance as a career, resorts to acts of self-harm on realising that she will always be second best.

The play not only charts the troupe’s journey towards said competition but also highlights the difficulties they encounter with their various friendships and the turmoil of their impending adolescence.  Barron doesn’t shy away from focusing on the messy side of female puberty or the language the girls use.  ‘Pussy’ appears to be their favoured word and there’s no holds barred when the top-notch Kayla Meikle gives her emotional monologue on how she views the world and it views her.  This is the absolute highlight of a play which is as strong on visuals as it is pre-teen language and how they view their burgeoning sexuality

Dance Nation is helped enormously by the direction of Bijan Sheibani, who brilliantly brings to life Barron’s look at the difficult path between childhood and adulthood.  The brutal, immensely scarey, intoxicating and at times messy journey is one we all go through and this terrific cast bring it all back, warts and all.  Strange at times and subversive always, Dance Nation is a play which deserves the accolades it received when premiered earlier this year in New York.