Humanhood: Vortex

Julia Robert and Rudi Cole

Humanhood Dance, Mercat de les Flors, Festival Grec, MAC Birmingham

Lowry, Salford

March 10,11, 2026; 65 mins

(also at Northern Ballet Theatre, Leeds, March 14)

The auditorium darkens as the music begins: a pulsating, almost organic, mesmerising soundscape flecked with occasional heartbeats. Spots of light gradually reveal glimpses of dancers until all six are in view - sometimes moving as one, sometimes individually, occasionally interacting.  

Humanhood's Vortex has a strong Eastern focus. Within the fluid movement are dramatic echoes of Tai Chi - exaggerated, enhanced by responses to music - as well as brief, Origami-like moments as the six dancers form a line and impressively fold their bodies towards the ground - intriguingly, as if they have both abandoned and retained their engrossing fluidity.  

Costume enhances the Eastern aspect. Hair and skin colour are hidden from view by hats in the shape of those worn by Chinese rice-field workers. The rigidity of these hats - covered in a metallic, industrial-style sheen - strongly opposes the unstructured tunics and wide trousers. Unlike many dance costumes, they reveal little if anything of each dancer's body shape, but instead enhance the audience experience of physical flexibility, both personally and in their Interaction with the surroundings.  

Everything darkens and the dancers reappear. The music is stronger. The hats have gone. Now we can identify individual dancers by height, build, hair and skin tone. 

I decided for a short time to concentrate on one dancer, then on another, before again viewing the group as a whole. At times the dancers seemed strongly subjected to a higher force: at others they seem more in control. The movement changes subtly, but the fluidity and pace remain mesmerising and deeply impressive. The hour passes quickly, though at times you wonder how they keep going. 

Vortex is an outstanding piece of work. Humanhood, founded by Julia Robert and Rudi Cole, has quickly established itself as an innovative and engaging company within the international contemporary dance scene, its work informed by a decade or more of research and cultural exchange with artists and tribal communities in India, SE Asia, Australia, Ecuador and Papua New Guinea. The results have been added to choreographic work with international dancers, trained by companies such as Rambert. Humanhood tours worldwide and we’re lucky the Lowry has had the confidence in its dance programming to bring the group to Salford. The intimacy of the Lowry's smaller Quays theatre is a wonderful setting, allowing composer lain Armstrong’s soundscape and Aiden Bromley’s lighting design to fully make their fascinating and essential contribution to the work. 

Unusually, the applause at the end seemed rather muted  for such an outstanding performance, but the faces and conversations as people slowly left the auditorium clearly showed how much the piece was appreciated. 

I’m already looking forward to the next visit. 

More info and tickets here

A scene from Humanhood's Vortex