Portuguese choreographer Marco da Silva Ferreira, a finalist for the Rose International Dance Prize last year, presents F*cking Future at Sadler's Wells East in London. The work, running until 6 June, is a compelling blend of protest and partying, echoing the styles of Hofesh Shechter and Sharon Eyal but with a distinct agenda: activism through choreographic collectivism.
A Slow-Burn Experience
Da Silva Ferreira's dance is akin to minimalist music, featuring small movement cells that gradually shift and morph. Eight dancers move in unison, yet they are far from automatons. They are real, sweaty humans in shiny trousers and chainmail vests, with red makeup smeared under their eyes. The piece is all about the slow build, which might seem boring until you tune in and live it with them, beat by beat. It is the antithesis of instant gratification, offering no quick dopamine hit but slowly swelling energy inch by inch.
Resistance Through Repetition
The dancers chant a song of resistance: "We are the ghosts you tried to kill!" The audience anticipates an amazing climax, but the dam never breaks. Instead, momentum absorbs back into the group, reflecting a politics of resistance that refuses easy catharsis. Da Silva Ferreira works like a DJ, shaping energy through bodies, sound, light, and motion over an hour. The result is subtly intoxicating, with dancers pushed to their limits, ending in ecstatic exhaustion. Yet, the question remains: do they take us all the way?
At Sadler's Wells East, London, until 6 June. This review originally appeared in The Guardian.
