Greenwich and Docklands International Festival

Inspired by 19th-century studio portraits of black families, Jean-Charles draws parallels between the photographs’ stiff, formal poses and the stultifying societal constraints surrounding these individuals. Her choreography features muscular, precise movements, the dancers’ bodies alternately flinching in struggle or pirouetting gracefully, poised between the restrained and the expressive.

Designer Marsha Roddy’s costumes build on the tension between power, class and clothing, contrasting austere tailcoats and voluminous skirts with vivid, patterned fabrics. A compelling score from DJ Walde ties it all together, with loops of juddering, tense strings layered over pounding bass notes. Snatches of recorded poetry rise above the rumble, repeatedly and pointedly demanding: “Is any of this comfortable?”

Asking a significantly broader question, aerial specialist Gravity and Levity has reworked its 2004 debut show Why? (★★★) for our uncertain times. Suspended from rappelling lines in front of a backdrop of ash-grey disks, performers Lindsey Butcher and Lee Clayden explore the show’s themes of grief, waiting and slow healing through bursts of acrobatic activity repeatedly punctured by sudden bouts of stillness.

Their staccato choreography interlocks seamlessly with Ben Park’s soundtrack, where plinking, delicate melodies abruptly give way to eruptions of driving, rhythmic bass.

In a time when a simple touch is a rarity, there’s a real poignancy in the acrobats’ physical closeness. As they both support and constrain each other, we’re reminded of the strength we gain from our interdependence. It’s a fitting image to emerge from this resilient and still inspiring festival.

Details: festival.org/gdif