Seasoned – Lila Dance – Abi Mortimer  

Written by Hannah Mulligan 

Seasoned is Lila Dances’ newest piece of work. A duet danced to a reimagined version of Vivaldi's ‘Four Seasons’, choreographed by Abi Mortimer and danced by Amy Morvell and Madison Burgess. This work was toured as part of ‘Culture Spark 2022’ and was performed at numerous locations across West Sussex. The work was premiered as the opening performance at the very grand Chichester Cathedral, and it must be said that the work was indeed very worthy of the level of grandeur.  

Dancers effortlessly made their way through the large audience, immersing the crowds into the performance. The work, created during lockdown, is a reflection of many of the turbulent emotions and experiences of working from home. The choreography has such an ease and spontaneity to it, that the dancers embody with great skill, moving weightlessly through the space. So much so that the quality of the movement mirrors that of improvisation, which not only makes the work easy to watch but captivates the audience who are completely mesmerized by the unfolding work. The moments where the body holds tension, suspending, before letting it all go with a huge amount of release is perhaps a physical manifestation of something I think we all felt during those months working from home. Although, just because the work is full of moments of release and weightlessness, this isn’t to say the dancers don’t demonstrate a vast amount of strength and control. The ability to make movement and make it look natural and easy on others is not an easy feat, and is just another reason this work should be celebrated.  

There is a great sense of comradery between the dancers, as they intricately weave and move around each other, establishing a strong connection which made apparent through not only complimentary movement, moments of unison and eye contact, but their constant awareness of each other: something both very cleverly choreographed and felt by the dancers. If you get the chance to see this gorgeous piece of work, I strongly recommend you do.