TOURING York for one night only, 2Faced Dance Company presented three new commissions by Tamsin Fitzgerald, Lenka Vagnerová and newcomer Rebecca Evans, exploring humanity’s dark side through movement, theatre and design.

2Faced Dance produces innovative and aspirational artistic performances with a focus on creating new, distinct and original works. RUN features an all-male company of dancers performing brand new pieces devised by an all-female group of choreographers, with each piece centering on the notion of fear and how we respond to it.

The opening piece, From Above, set the tone for the night with its austere, minimalistic set design and raw physicality. Exploring the theme of social consciousness and our ability - or inability - to stand up for our own beliefs, Fitzgerald manages to evoke a genuine sense of isolation and oppression, combining incredibly fluid, high-energy choreography with aggressive, violent action and emotive musical accompaniments.

Evans’s duet dance, The Other, makes use of prop lights and dynamic shadows to create stark contrasts that mirror the ideas of alienation and conflict, taking inspiration from classic horror movies. The use of Arabic singing throughout the performance, in particular, highlights the sense of disconnection and misunderstanding.

Closing out the night, Vagnerová’s Fallen Angels is easily the most unsettling of the three pieces. Drawing on imagery of angels cast down from heaven and the Biblical fall of man, the dancers’ irregular, twisting movements, alongside the crashing, discordant music and visceral sound effects, make for a bizarre but fascinating performance.

2Faced Dance Company have produced something both engaging and arresting that will stick with you long after you see it.