Gelabert Azzopardi Companiya de Dansa

There’s a moment in the second half of this slick performance of contemporary dance when the 10-strong company appear to meld into a single, if imperfectly co-ordinated, unit; a writhing sea of humanity battling against unseen elements. But the moment doesn’t last long. Soon the individual bodies are once again flailing in their own dance orbits, cast into a foreboding universe.

This is all about contrasts in style, direction and speed across two very different pieces. The first, Sense Fi, is the more conventional piece of modern dance set to a contemporary score of vigorously plucked dulcimers, spiky guitar riffs and ambient electronics. A huge golden orb moves eerily across the stage as the dancers whirl at wild speeds with impressive agility and control, seamlessly transitioning into slower and more sombre tempos as the tone becomes more pensive.

But it’s the second piece, Conquassabit, which is the real triumph. Handel is not the most obvious choice to accompany a piece of modern dance, but there is unexpected joy in the conjunction. The choreography pays close attention to Handel’s undulating tempos and rhythms with the dancers working within the music rather than across, outside or against it. This time the backdrop is a single but all-encompassing sheet of glimmering fabric, the complex folds of which mirror and intensify the high-octane movements of the dancers.

Contemporary dance has its sceptics but even non-fans may be seduced. This is a performance of such power, intensity and convulsive beauty.