R.O.S.E

Article EDEN WILKINSON | Photography EBUN LAUREN

R.O.S.E is an experience which introduces a symbiosis of the DJ, audience, and performer.

It presents a culture where club-goers and professional dancers exist in within the same space to create a new and immersive way to enjoy music and dance.

Curated by Factory International, choreography by Sharon Eyal, Gai Behar and London based record label ‘Young’ came together to present a collaboration of dance and music for Manchester International Festival 2023. Set within Manchester’s iconic New Century Hall the night mixed UK club culture with dark hedonistic choreography. The DJ for the evening was Ben UFO, a man who has gathered a reputation as one of dance music’s most wide-ranging selectors. He played during and after the dancer’s performances, with his contemporary selection of songs perfectly accompanying the ballet and contemporary dance elements of the performances. By contrast exaggerated vogue elements of the choreography gave the distorted, boundary-blurring style signature to Sharon Eyal.

The choreography consisted of isolated movements that reflected breaks in the track. There was also a certain unpredictability to the experience; static movements in the movement would transform into travelling phrases where the dancers would make their way into and amongst the crowd. With a mixture of solo pieces and group unison choreography, the atmosphere was constantly evolving within New Century Hall.

Solo dancers slipped effortlessly through the audience whilst group sections felt intimidating and affronting.

The burnt orange down lighting on the dancer’s cast silhouettes that merged into the bodies of the observers, making this an intimate experience whereby the audience add to the overall performance and composition of the art. A certain energy would be left on the floor after the dancers’ performances that would travel into the energy of the crowd like a form of osmosis.

It is especially prominent to see contemporary dance and the culture of dance music working in unison to bring new immersive experiences into the mainstream. This is an exciting time for shared experiences of immersive art, one that I hope to see replicated in the future.

R.O.S.E ran in Manchester from the 12th July 2023 – 15th July 2023. Now Wave hosts the R.O.S.E. afterparty at The White Hotel on Sunday 16th July 2023, where Ben UFO is joined by Jamie XX, Bake and All Hands On Deck for a selection of late night sets