Toussaint To Move: Free – A Vibrant Fusion of Dance and Reggae
London's Sadler's Wells East is currently hosting an electrifying and immersive performance that is captivating audiences. Akeim Toussaint Buck's production, Toussaint To Move: Free, is a bass-heavy, joyful celebration that masterfully blurs the traditional boundaries between stage and spectator, inviting everyone into its warm embrace of reggae culture.
An Invitation to Dance and Feel
The show belongs to a unique category of performance that attempts to fuse the experience of watching dance with the act of dancing itself. This is a difficult balance to achieve, but Free succeeds in not only giving the audience permission to move unselfconsciously but also in allowing them to tap into the core emotions expressed by the performers. The central themes are the hopeful freedom and defiant joy inherent in reggae music and its cultural roots.
A cast of five main dancers is powerfully supported by a community ensemble of students and elders, creating a splendidly diverse on-stage family. This inclusive setup makes it clear that everyone is invited to this celebration. While the ensemble helps get the audience on their feet—though seats remain available for those who need them—they also create a dynamic, living curtain between the spectators and the principal artists, all while maintaining an irresistibly good vibe.
The Soundtrack and Choreographic Heartbeat
The creative force behind the show, Akeim Toussaint Buck, is not only the choreographer but also the writer and vocalist for the production's original soundtrack. Performed with his band, the Magnificence, the music is a potent mix of dub, reggae, and jazz. The bass is a dominant character in the show; its volume is pushed to the point of distortion, hitting the chest like a fuzzy-edged bullet. This powerful, slow heartbeat of rhythm drives the entire performance.
The dancers physically manifest this sound, with the reverb seeming to bounce through their bodies. They move in sync during laid-back routines and lose themselves in individual worlds, their movements described as easy and earthy. It is a visual and physical representation of souls feeding on the powerful sounds, creating a palpable call and response with the music that resonates in your own body.
A Moment of Grit Within the Celebration
The overall mood is one of warmth, community, and shared smiles, though it can feel somewhat samey. This consistency is punctuated by a powerful and timely moment of grit. One dancer clutches his hands to his face and chest, raising his voice to call for freedom for the world and for Palestine. This poignant intervention references the ongoing protests concerning Sadler's Wells' sponsorship by Barclays, a bank linked to defence companies supplying Israel. The other dancers surround him, and the moment is gently absorbed back into the collective dance, with the party atmosphere soon resuming.
While Free stands as a highly enjoyable and communal gathering, this brief political interjection hints at the potential for a even stronger and more complex piece of theatre lying within its framework. The production is a must for reggae lovers and anyone seeking an hour of low-key skanking and positive energy.
Toussaint To Move: Free is showing at Sadler's Wells East, London, until 8 November. It will then move to the Bradford Arts Centre on 21 November.
