The dancers of Déjà Donné are deadly serious. Even a little scary. For over an hour they hammer out a relationship triangle and make no concessions to audience comfort. There are aching silences and fierce stares. Simone Sandroni, who could be mistaken for a technician as she stands among a battery of lighting equipment, is motionless for what feels like half the performance. The tension on the stage and the straight-backed pews of St Stephens keep everyone watchful and just a little uncomfortable.
This Czech-based company has extraordinary control, using an athletic, swivelling, flinging style that is so emotionally articulate it seems at times as if the dancers have actually spoken. Two women and a man immerse themselves in this unwavering, expressive dance and drive out into searching spotlights. Arms whip, spoiling for a fight. Bodies snarl.
The iron hand of one woman (Masako Noguchi) squeezes the stomach of her friend/lover (Teodora Popova) and an erotic charge flashes through the auditorium. Pared down to gut reactions, the shifting relationships swell and deflate until resolution brings the trio back to the beginning and together. The idea is simple, but Déjà Donné bring to it a vast chamber of emotions. For performers and audience it is an exhausting and sometimes exhilarating journey, illuminated with great lighting and considerable intelligence by a small company with a brave heart.
· Until August 25. Box office: 0131-558 3853.
