Duato’s “Gnawa” provides a strong end to the evening; the work is restaged by former Hubbard Street Artistic Director Jim Vincent. There is a striking interplay between Nicolâs Fischtel’s lighting design and Modesto Lomba’s costumes, lending an intense, ritual atmosphere to the work. The costumes of flared, black dresses and gleaming, cream trousers, combined with the dark overlay of the stage and flickering candles, treats us to a chiaroscuro effect as the dancers move in and out of the black backdrop or shine out suddenly from the wings. It’s great to see a dark piece that is not simply moody but is instead interested in the aesthetic possibilities of darkness. 

Though dark, it is not a heavy work. The dancers move with alacrity through Duato’s musically complex movements; each thrill in the soundtrack is picked up with a flexed foot, a turned head, a sharp change of gravity in a lift. Duato embraces the choreographic freedom of having many dancers on stage; group formations emerge with seamless dexterity, giving the audience that experiential joy of group cohesion but always keeping texture and complexity. Through these beings wander two nudely-dressed dancers, Elliot Hammans and Morgan Clune, voyagers in this ancient world. The music is a mixture of soft drums, textured vocals, and bird sounds, inspired by ‘cultures around the Mediterranean Sea’. It’s a welcome return to the company for the season.