IMAGINE finding yourself in the centre of a weird kind of Ceilidh, full of strange dancers whose dancing alternates between expressions of anger, joy and love – that’s the premise of MÁM.

Performed by Ireland-based international dance company Teać Damsa, MÁM takes us on an otherworldly journey through the eyes of a young girl. The girl finds herself at the centre of a dance, where every movement becomes exaggerated and where even the furniture becomes part of the performance.

This is a high-energy piece, performed with a powerful intensity from the get-go as acclaimed Irish Concertina player Cormac Begley sets up a rhythmical chant using the air from his instrument. Begley is later joined on stage by a live band of multi-tasking musicians from the stargaze collective, who also become entwined in the dance as it reaches a frenzied climax.

The dancers themselves are extraordinary in their physicality, displaying both vulnerability and strength in their movements. At some points they whirl like dervishes; at others there’s an almost comic mundanity.

When we first meet them, the dancers are wearing frightening black balaclava-type hoods – seemingly a nod to ‘the troubles’ – and there is a sense of foreboding and oppression that is palpable. The mood lightens as the dance takes on a celebratory tone – are we at a wake? A wedding? The mood changes throughout the piece -one minute the dancers seem drunk, the next mournful, then angry, shouting terrifying at the little girl, who remains impassive as she winds her way through the ensuing mêlée.

Choreographer Micheal Keegan-Dolan created MÁM when he was living in West Kerry and the echoes of rural Ireland are at the heart of the piece.

Don’t go expecting ‘Riverdance’ but rather allow yourself to be swept along by the rhythms and rituals of a deeper culture. There are couple of moments when the imagery feels a little clunky and clichéd, but overall, this is an incredibly powerful and thought-provoking piece, performed with passion and commitment by the entire company.

The show runs until this evening (Saturday) at Birmingham Hippodrome. Click here for times, tickets and more information.

****

Johannah Dyer for Euan Rose Reviews