Dance and Contemporary dance

Martin Lawrance on Dance GB

The Scottish Ballet choreographer will share a bill with English and Welsh national dance companies

15 May 2012

‘Am I allowed to swear?’ asks Martin Lawrance politely, before going on to describe how he felt when Scottish Ballet first knocked at his door. Suffice to say, he was a little nervous. A dancer with Richard Alston Dance Company for many years…

Danza Contemporanea De Cuba tours UK

Exceptional Cuban dance company with European influence

18 Apr 2012

Watching Danza Contemporanea de Cuba on stage, you quickly start to form an opinion. Full of energy, dressed in colourful costumes, these talented dancers are here purely to entertain. But keep watching, and new sides to the company start to emerge. In…

Interview: Trisha Brown - choreographer

Influential figure in American postmodern dance heads for Glasgow

17 Apr 2012

As one of the most influential figures in American postmodern dance heads for Glasgow, we find out what lies behind the creative force that is Trisha Brown What made you want to be a choreographer? The foundations for living a creative life were laid…

Nederlands Dans Theater 2

Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman discusses his playful new piece, Cacti

9 Mar 2012

Watching a piece of modern dance often provokes an irresistible urge to analyse it. Unlike narrative ballet, there’s no story, so viewers can be left wondering ‘what does it all mean?’ More often than not, the answer to that question is ‘whatever you…

Choreographer Bawren Tavaziva talks Sensual Africa

The dancer's new performance explores African tribal rituals with contemporary dance

3 Feb 2012

Born in rural Zimbabwe, Bawren Tavaziva was well aware of the tribes living in his area. But having moved to bustling capital Harare at the age of four, he soon became more concerned with football, Michael Jackson and martial arts movies, before moving…

Loic Lalande and Tom Pritchard Double Bill

Contemporary dancer Tom Pritchard discusses the stress and excitement of performing new works

19 Dec 2011

The idea of dancing alone on stage is, for most of us, the stuff of stress dreams. For Tom Pritchard, however, leaving out the advance planning, choreography and a soundtrack is the most exciting way to perform. ‘It’s very raw and present,’ he says…

Company Chordelia introduces us to the beautiful-but-dark dance piece Miranda

Chordelia's artistic director Kally Lloyd Jones discusses the production

21 Oct 2011

If you find yourself slightly puzzled at the start of Miranda, the new show from Company Chordelia, then don’t worry – the lead character is, too. ‘Miranda is lost,’ explains the company’s artistic director, Kally Lloyd Jones. ‘She’s been at a party…

Rambert Dance Company's Seven for a Secret

Composer Stephen McNeff reworks Ravel score for new production

21 Oct 2011

He’s one of Britain’s finest opera composers, garnering awards and commissions at home and abroad. Yet even Stephen McNeff had a moment of trepidation when it came to re-arranging the work of one of his heroes. Choreographed by Rambert’s artistic…

Wayne McGregor / Random Dance - Far

The choreographer discusses his latest work, Far, which is inspired by the Age of Enlightenment

19 Sep 2011

While it’s true that behind every piece of dance lies hours of thought, few choreographers can lay claim to quite the mental heavy work of Wayne McGregor. In recent years, his exploration into the world of cognitive science has helped generate a large…

Rock the Ballet

Pop-rock ballet makes for pure entertainment from Rasta Thomas’s Bad Boys

7 Aug 2011

Rasta Thomas’ Bad Boys of Dance have come to town and swapped tights and Tchaikovsky for snug black trousers and an unashamed pop-rock soundtrack. New York-based ballet dancers they may be, but there’s not a whiff of neurotic Natalie Portman about them…

Interview - Muirne Bloomer and Emma O’Kane of The Ballet Ruse

Ballerinas swap the barre for the bar

29 Jul 2011

The origins of The Ballet Ruse, by seasoned Irish dancers Muirne Bloomer and Emma O’Kane, are simple. ‘In 2009 we were both single and decided to make a groundbreaking piece about dating,’ remembers Bloomer. But things took a turn in the studio. ‘We…

Soy de Cuba brings Havana dance, music and song

The sound of contemporary Cuba visits 2011 Edinburgh Festival

28 Jul 2011

With influences from South America, Spain and Africa dating back centuries, it’s fair to say Cuba is a melting pot of styles. So it stands to reason that the latest music and dance sensation to come out of the Caribbean island is equally diverse.

Rock the Ballet incorporates multiple dance styles

Ballet gets a rock and pop makeover at 2011 Edinburgh Festival

28 Jul 2011

If the word ballet leads you to thoughts of starched white tutus and tight buns, then Rock the Ballet is here to disabuse you of that notion. For although there will indeed be tight buns on stage, they’re considerably lower down than your average prima…

Project Y

Annual summer programme by contemporary youth dance company Y Dance

22 Jul 2011

From the Shetland Islands down to the Borders, the prospect of spending a summer with Project Y entices young dancers from all quarters of Scotland. Now in its sixth year, this unique programme, run by Y Dance, gives 16-21-year-olds a chance to work…

Brazilian dance highlights at Edinburgh 2011

Now and at the Time of Our Turn, Parallel Memories, My Voluntary Punishments and Another Cappadocia

20 Jul 2011

Long known for its rich dance tradition, Kelly Apter finds Brazil’s contemporary dance companies responding to all aspects of the country’s diverse culture

Siobhan Davies Dance: Rotor

Experimental cross-artform dance from nine commissioned artists

15 Jun 2011

‘I hate the word inspiration,’ says Siobhan Davies. Which may seem ironic, given how inspirational she has been to budding young dancers and choreographers over the years. But for Davies, inspiration implies a light bulb moment, when something just…

Tom Pritchard: As Yet Untitled

The Arches' associate artist-in-residence looks forward to a new improvisational collaboration

27 May 2011

For most performers it’s the stuff of nightmares – finding yourself centre stage with no knowledge of script or steps. For dancer and choreographer Tom Pritchard, however, it’s the ideal scenario. Currently associate artist at The Arches, Pritchard is…

Barrowland Ballet: A Conversation with Carmel

13 Apr 2011

Family gatherings – for some they’re the highlight of the year, for others they need a health warning. Inspired by her own get togethers, and those of others, choreographer Natasha Gilmore has co-created A Conversation with Carmel, a birthday bash for a…

Choreographer Richard Alston takes part in our Q&A ahead of his appearance at Glasgow's Theatre Royal

13 Apr 2011

Richard Alston Dance Company will be in Glasgow this May, performing Alston's 1990 work Rough Cut alongside the Hoagy Carmichael-inspired Shuffle it Right and the Prokofiev-inspired Out of the Strong. He answers some of our questions on his work.

Profile: Choreographer Claire Cunningham

ME(Mobile/Evolution) is a double bill of two separate pieces

21 Mar 2011

What made you want to be a choreographer? I didn’t. It’s happened by accident! As I began to work in movement, images began to occur to me that I wanted to create, or ideas about trying new ways of using the crutches, or an unusual balance kept…

Flawless: Chase the Dream expands dance routine to hour long show

Britain’s Got Talent finalist on UK tour

21 Mar 2011

In 2010, streetdance troupe Flawless went from 100m athletics to marathon men. Prior to their Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, Chase the Dream, they had only ever performed short sharp routines, in competitions, on the dance circuit and, of course, on…

Choreographer Janis Claxton on Humanimalia

An interview with the Australian choreographer

9 Mar 2011

What made you want to be a choreographer? I grew up running wild in the Australian bush and I was always dancing barefoot outdoors. I guess it was that connection with the wilderness and the land along with a need for emotional and creative release…

Contemporary dance festival New Territories 2011

Artistic director Nikki Milican talks us through the highlights

4 Mar 2011

As the New Territories festival continues apace, we asked artistic director Nikki Milican to take us on a whistle-stop tour of the main stage dance productions. First up is a double-bill from Louise Lecavalier, a former dancer with Canadian outfit…

Ailey 2 company carries an explosive amount of youthful vigour

American dance company set for King's Theatre, Glasgow

11 Feb 2011

When Alvin Ailey died in 1989, he left behind an incredible legacy. Not only had he created a remarkable body of works, and a company – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – to perform them, but he had also looked to the future. As dancers mature and…

Rambert Dance Company comes to Edinburgh

Industry leading London troupe to serve up another triple bill this winter

26 Jan 2011

For many dance companies, the triple-bill is almost a guilty pleasure. Brought out once a year, it can’t hope to compete with the pulling power of a full-length narrative. Yet, throughout its history, Rambert Dance Company has served up triple bills as…

Out of the Strong is latest work by Richard Alston Dance Company

Abstract contemporary dance, now with characterisation and Prokofiev

3 Nov 2010

For decades, Richard Alston has been one of Britain’s finest exponents of abstract contemporary dance. Now, however, it would seem he’s also rather good at telling a story. Alston first dipped his toe in narrative waters in 2009, with Scottish…

Blaze fuses West End show and club night

Dance show set for Glasgow Theatre Royal

6 Oct 2010

Despite a history dating back over 30 years, hip hop still feels like the new kid on the dance block. Partly because it’s so fresh it could never feel old – but also because only now is it getting the recognition it deserves. Once exclusively…

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater perform Revelations

1960 piece set for Edinburgh Festival Theatre

6 Oct 2010

A visit from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater guarantees a number of things. Great dancing, interesting choreography, uplifting music and, of course, Revelations. Choreographed by Ailey in 1960, the piece is a unique calling card performed at the end…

Return2you dance theatre piece from Susanna Curtis

29 Sep 2010

For 22 years, choreographer Susanna Curtis has been journeying between the place of her birth and the land where she carved out a home and career. Born in Glasgow but based in Nuremberg, Curtis has drawn inspiration from those trips for her latest work…

5 Questions - Ricardo Garcia

19 Aug 2010

One of the busiest men on the Fringe, Ricardo Garcia takes time out from his many performances to tell us about his interactive show, A Compas Flamenco. 5 things you love most about flamenco? I love the fact that it is the art of the people – not a…

Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company

Where Spanish and African cultures collide

19 Aug 2010

With its close proximity to Africa, Spain is often seen as a gateway to a better life. Some immigrants are successful, others not, but it is their desire for greener grass, followed by a longing for home, which inspired Paco Peña’s latest show…

Dance:Film10 brings dance on film to Edinburgh Festival

Pieces on Pina Bausch and Scottish Ballet films by Daniel Warren amongst highlights

15 Aug 2010

The Edinburgh International Film Festival may no longer coincide with the rest of the August extravaganza, but the folks at Dance:Film are doing their best to fill the slot. Small but perfectly formed, this year’s film fest features films about Scottish…

Be-Dom

Joyous fun with Portuguese drums

14 Aug 2010

As the huge white screen they’ve been playing behind in silhouette collapses to reveal what appears to be a junkyard full of cavorting, hunky (and fairly well-scrubbed) crusties, the tone is set for an hour of shambolic play. Switching fairly…

5 Questions - Frank McConnell

12 Aug 2010

Frank McConnell of Plan B takes time out from performing A Wee Home From Home with musician Michael Marra, to answer our 5 Questions.

Flawless - Chase The Dream

Streetdance – and a whole lot more

8 Aug 2010

Britain’s Got Talent finalists, Flawless strive for perfection on a daily basis. And, in their slick, fast-paced streetdance routines, it’s fair to say they’ve reached their goal. Not an arm or leg is out of place, the timing is razor sharp and the…

Brazil! Brazil!

Capeoira kicks, samba hips and footie tricks

8 Aug 2010

Brazil! Brazil! is like the fantasy beach party everyone wants invited to. Chilled-out Brazilian beats to rival Astrud Gilberto, buff bare-chested guys wheeling out jaw-dropping capoeira kicks and backflips, voluptuous feather-topped girls in bling…

Anatomy of Fantasy

Impressive if unfocused journey through the subconscious

8 Aug 2010

Anatomy of Fantasy is an appropriately elusive title for a multi-sensory show that, while enjoyable, at times lacks focus.

Tap Ole

Tap dance meets flamenco guitar with a sprinkling of razzle dazzle

8 Aug 2010

If you like your flamenco music served with fury and furrowed brow this is not the show for you. This is flamenco music with a Broadway smile: the usual simmering passions and castanets of the proud flamenca replaced with jazz arms and a volley of…

Continent

Barton finks too much

8 Aug 2010

There’s something curiously retro about this little piece, from the tight-fitting, slightly shiny suits worn by its performers to the old fashioned world of typewriters and briefcases it conjures up.

Roam

Fast-flowing contemporary dance laced with breakdance and martial arts

8 Aug 2010

Tom Dale Company returns to the Fringe with a piece loosely based on the human impulse to ‘roam’. The rising choreographer presents an hour of contemporary dance that, like its title, never stops moving. There is no set or narrative. Rather Roam is…

Dance company MAU bring Tempest: Without a Body and Birds with Skymirrors to Fringe

Lemi Ponifasio blends theatre, choreography and ritual

5 Aug 2010

Most definitely not your standard dance fare, these two works by New Zealand-based choreographer Lemi Ponifasio and his company MAU blend theatre, choreography and ritual to create something thought-provoking and unique. Don’t be put off by the pace…

Brazil! Brazil! marks return of Capoeria Knights to Fringe

Fancy footwork and football from the favelas

3 Aug 2010

Starting life as Capoeria Knights at the 2008 Fringe, returning as The Boys From Brazil in 2009 and now simply called Brazil! Brazil!, this show has undergone various personnel changes and artistic tweaks. Jaw-dropping flips and leaps have always been…

Booking Dance Festival showcases 12 US dance companies

10-minute canapés of American dance

3 Aug 2010

The festival within a festival returns to the Fringe for the second time, bringing dynamic performances from our friends across the pond. The Booking Dance Festival showcases 12 US dance companies over two programmes, with each one given ten minutes to…

My Name is Margaret Morris

Forgotten hero dances back to life

3 Aug 2010

You would think, having invented a new way of moving, married a famous artist and been the driving force behind Scottish dance for years, that people would remember you. Sadly, the name Margaret Morris is likely to prompt a ‘who?’ from most people these…

Five questions: Natalie Trewinnard of Scottish Dance Theatre

SDT's shows Drift, NQR and other Fringe dance highlights

3 Aug 2010

Give us five reasons to come and see SDT’s two Fringe shows Three contrasting works of total theatre; powerfully athletic; SDT dancers have individuality and personality; groundbreaking work; thought-provoking. Tell us four more Fringe dance shows…

Rhythm Drum & Dance

High-energy show comes to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre

30 Jul 2010

We needed a lie down just after watching the YouTube trailer for this one. A high-energy, high drama drum show which began as a 20-minute show in Berlin (and has since expanded to tour around Europe) – this is a celebration of rhythms. And the RD&D…

30 top shows at the Edinburgh Fringe 2010

The List's pick of the Edinburgh Festival programme

23 Jul 2010

From Turner Prize-winning Martin Creed and New York theatre experimentalists The Wooster Group to former wild child Storm Large and promising newcomer Jonny Sweet, this is The List's pick of August’s entertainment.

Festival collaboration unites Alonzo King Lines Ballet with Zakir Hussain

EIF show fuses Indian classical music and contemporary American ballet

16 Jul 2010

Zakir Hussain was always destined for musical greatness: one look at his childhood bedtime routine will tell you that. For years he would come home from school and go straight to sleep, only to be awakened by his father at midnight to rehearse through…

BalletLORENT's Blood, Sweat and Tears

Quirky, emotive dance theatre from Newcastle-based group

16 Jul 2010

Despite being a mere stone’s throw away from Scotland, we see tragically little of Newcastle-based balletLORENT. Easily one of the most interesting female choreographers in the world today, Liv Lorent produces quirky, emotive dance theatre that always…

Choreographer Jean Abreu brings Inside show to Edinburgh Fringe

Abreu uses dance to look at prison life

15 Jul 2010

Picture spending day after endless day trapped behind a locked door, for which someone else has the key. That’s where Jean Abreu’s imagination has been residing for the best part of two years, during the creation of his new work, Inside. The…

New Dance Base studio set for Leith

24 Jun 2010

Dance lovers are being encouraged to put their backing behind the latest initiative by Dance Base. Proposals are now underway to get more people dancing with a new studio housed in the Thomas Morton Hall in Leith. Situated on the corner of Ferry Road…

Random Dance: Entity

6 May 2010

A good costume can do wonders for a performance, but sometimes in the dance world, less can most definitely be more. Very little material was sacrificed for Wayne McGregor’s 2008 work, Entity, with the dancers clad in something akin to underpants and…

Hoots Man Alive!

16 Apr 2010

No, that really is the title of this dance workshop festival, part of the Northern Streams strand of Ceilidh Culture, which aims to educate you, the public, on the matter of traditional male dance from Scandinavia and Scotland. Each two-hour standalone…

Six Short Piano Pieces

23 Mar 2010

Arnold Schoenberg wrote his sparse, tiny Sechs Kleine Klavierstücke (Six Short Piano Pieces) in 1911, at a time of great personal and artistic upheaval. It’s no coincidence that Ian Spink has chosen this particular work for his first choreographic…

Edinburgh, My Home: Jonathan Mills

22 Mar 2010

Edinburgh International Festival director Jonathan Mills on the virtues and indiscretions of his adopted home

Scottish Dance Theatre: NQR & The Life and Times of Girl A

19 Mar 2010

If it seems a little noisy in Dundee at the moment, it’s because there’s some serious groundbreaking going on there. Under the forward-thinking eye of artistic director Janet Smith, Scottish Dance Theatre (SDT) is producing work which forces us to alter…

Plan B: A Wee Home From Home

29 Oct 2009

The more things change the more they stay the same, as the old saying goes. Twenty-one years ago, when A Wee Home From Home was first staged, it was an astute reflection on the social and political landscape in Scotland. Dancer Frank McConnell, musician…

Richard Alston Dance Company

29 Oct 2009

It’s not often that Richard Alston embraces a narrative, but when he does, you know you’re in for something special – as witnessed by his excellent Carmen with Scottish Ballet earlier this year. Now, to celebrate the centenary of Sergei Diaghilev’s…

Bounce: Insane in the Brain

A streetdance retelling of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

15 Oct 2009

It took the members of Swedish streetdance company Bounce a while to come up with their name – but once you see them in action, you realise it’s the perfect choice. Their energetic re-working of the 1975 film, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest finds the…

Curve Foundation Dance Company

Previewing a diverse triple-bill of contemporary dance

1 Oct 2009

When Peter Darrell choreographed O Caritas in 1974, it was to ‘express the senselessness of violence’. Thirty five years on, the late founder of Scottish Ballet would no doubt be horrified to see how little has changed. Having staged two previous…

Gelabert Azzopardi Companyia de Dansa

Works of total theatre from Cesc Gelabert

23 Aug 2009

Catalan choreographer, Cesc Gelabert is back at the Edinburgh International Festival after a five-year absence. He’s been missed, and the two new works he delivers in this double-bill show exactly why. These are works of total theatre, where music…

Dance hitlist

23 Aug 2009

Everything Must Go, Flhip Flhop: Everything Happens on the Break, Michael Clark, Scottish Ballet, Zeitgeist

Let's Dance: Michael Clark Company

With Bowie on the soundtrack, Clark's new work is the flagship show of the EIF's dance programme

21 Aug 2009

When you’re the closest thing the dance world has to a household name, every word you say, work you create and mistake you make is documented and kept for posterity. Despite turning 47 in June, Michael Clark is still dogged by the term ‘enfant…

New Art Club

Balletic musings on the meaning of ‘now’

10 Aug 2009

Tom Roden was 13 when the compilation Now That’s What I Call Music was released back in 1983. He and his girlfriend broke the law by taping it on cassette from the vinyl. That year, Tom was a goth. He was also a New Romantic, a breakdancer, a mod, and a…

Myriad

Dancing inside the mind

10 Aug 2009

Following last year’s successful debut, Interrupt, Collisions Dance is back with its new production, Myriad. Quirky and contemplative, it explores notions of selfhood in relation to modern day alienation, and the internalised worlds we so often find…

Spectrum

Late-night telly turns hip hop fantasia

10 Aug 2009

The old BBC 2 test card – yes, that one, with the little girl and the clown – is a bit of a strange premise to build a whole hip hop show around, but London’s Avant Garde Dance has managed to make it work. One dancer plays the girl, the others just…

Four Quarters

Contemporary dance in shooter form

10 Aug 2009

Tired after days of mediocre Fringe shows? Proceed directly to Zoo and ingest these four sharp little shots of contemporary dance performance. The magnetic Isobel Cohen, who curated the show and appears in three of the works, starts things off by…

Elvis Still My Heart

No, Elvis has definitely left the building

10 Aug 2009

Louise Barrett is a fantastically talented physical performer. You can’t take your eyes off her. In spindly ‘spinster’ Agnes, subliminating repressed sexuality into an obsession with the King, his eroticised pelvic flicks translated into nervous…

A Lot of Nerve

Cabaret in a world of its own

10 Aug 2009

Picture the scene – you and your friends have had a bit too much to drink, you shimmy over to the stereo, pick out a choice tune and turn your living room into a bespoke cabaret joint. Great fun, but when morning comes, you’re well aware that nobody…

The Chair

Family, death and narrative dance

3 Aug 2009

Over the past couple of years, Zoo Venue has got increasingly good at giving opportunities not only to the most interesting international dance companies, but exciting younger companies from the UK. In that slot this year is C-12 Dance Company…

Still Breathing

Hip hop and contemporary melting pot

30 Jul 2009

If there’s one thing that’s consistent about 2FaCeD DaNcE Company, it’s that it is never the same twice. Each year, the Hereford-based company heads to the Fringe with yet more ammunition in its belt. What started life as a fairly humble youth project…

Dance Hitlist

All the shows that have got The List moving

30 Jul 2009

Capoeira Knights: The Boys from Brazil, Circa, Flhip Flhop: Everything Happens on the Break, Still Breathing, Tap Kids

Lola: The Life of Lola Montez

Biographical flamenco drama

30 Jul 2009

During the 19th century, Irish-born Lola Montez plied a career as an unlikely Spanish dancer across Europe, Australia and the US while bedding the likes of King Ludwig I of Bavaria along the way. Her story is one of scandal and celebrity. ‘Lola is a…

Flhip Flhop: Everything Happens on the Break

Breakdance in overalls

30 Jul 2009

Bursting onto the hip-hop scene with their first fully fledged production as Rannel Theatre Company, Joey D and Matt Bailey make their Fringe debut with a show that came about after a chance encounter in a night club. Working as a DJ, Bailey approached…

Edinburgh Mela

Edinburgh's most multicultural festival

30 Jul 2009

The 15th Edinburgh Mela is something of a milestone for the massive multicultural music, art, theatre and food festival celebrating Asian Scottish culture, and not just because it is returning to its original home of Pilrig Park. ‘This year, we’re…

Dance Base

30 Jul 2009

Scotland’s National Centre for Dance in the Grassmarket is always a hotbed of diverse movement – but this year it has excelled itself. In this first round of Fringe excitement (there’s more to come later in the month), it is offering ten individual…

Norman Douglas & Company

11 Jun 2009

CONTEMPORARY DANCE Norman Douglas isn’t afraid to do his homework. As part of the research for his new triple-bill, the Glasgow choreographer has been digesting some pretty heavy stuff, including a tome on critical theory. ‘It’s taken me a year to…

Why Hip Hop show Breakin' Convention has the original spin

14 May 2009

In May 2007, hip hop came to Edinburgh. A laughable comment for those already immersed in the scene, but for many people it was the start of a beautiful friendship. Having taken London by storm every year since 2004, Breakin’ Convention finally branched…

Dance Film 09

14 May 2009

Following its debut in 2007 Dance: Film is back with a packed season of screenings, talks and workshops to get you up en pointe with excitement. The ten-day festival, jointly run by Dance Base and the Filmhouse, features classics like Swing Time, the…

Les Ballets C de la B: Ashes

30 Apr 2009

The so called mid-life crisis comes in many forms, but Koen Augustijnen has found a more creative outlet than most. The choreographer knows he’s still got plenty of good years ahead of him, but can’t help noticing the passing of time. ‘It probably has…

Junk Ensemble: Drinking Dust

16 Apr 2009

The subjectivity of memory is fertile ground for experimental work. A delicately treasured memory in one person can, if artfully enough conveyed, provoke a parallel experience in others. Ireland’s Junk Ensemble – the core of which is two sisters, Megan…

Setting the stage - Edinburgh International Festival

2 Apr 2009

EIF artistic director, Jonathan Mills, referred to the ‘menace and magic’ of this year’s festival programme, as he unveiled the highlights last week. In keeping with 2009’s Homecoming celebrations the Edinburgh International Festival launched works rich…

Ballet Lorent: Designer Body

19 Mar 2009

CONTEMPORARY DANCE It’s not hyperbole when I say that Liv Lorent is one of the most exciting, dynamic and emotionally engaging choreographers to have worked in Scotland in recent years. The reviews, awards and audience reaction bear it out, and all…

Anna Krzystek

5 Mar 2009

CONTEMPORARY DANCE Sometimes dance comes with bells and whistles, assaulting your senses with a riot of music and colour. Other times it touches you gently, gradually searing itself onto your memory. The work of Glasgow-based choreographer, Anna…

Northern Ballet Theatre: Swan Lake and Mixed Bill

5 Mar 2009

It may be the world’s most popular ballet in its traditional form, but Swan Lake can withstand a fair bit of manipulation. David Nixon’s innovative version takes place in New England during the early 20th century, where a wealthy college boy and his…

Troop

27 Nov 2008

CONTEMPORARY DANCE Contemporary dance is known for many things, but its use of feathers, sequins and bows isn’t one of them. Choreographer Jane Turner, however, is no stranger to a well-placed high heel, having spent several years as a showgirl in…

Richard Alston Dance Company

30 Oct 2008

Music has always played a huge part in Richard Alston’s work, but these days he’s having fun with lyrics, too. Last year’s Shuffle It Right introduced dance audiences to the witty words of late American jazz singer, Hoagy Carmichael. ‘Hoagy was an…

Phoenix Dance Company

30 Oct 2008

Most mixed bills throw two or three pieces your way, but not Phoenix. The Leeds-based company is presenting no less than five diverse works for your delectation. Artistic director, Javier De Frutos contributes his visually striking Blue Roses inspired…

Janis Claxton Dance Company

16 Oct 2008

CONTEMPORARY DANCE The last time we saw Janis Claxton, she was looking rather sodden in a rainy enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo. Not that the weather dampened her spirits – Claxton’s group show, Enclosure 44 – Humans was a huge success at this year’s…

Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray

Effective storytelling makes for an adaptation with impact

29 Aug 2008

In the closing moments of Dorian Gray, a bright light shines out into the audience, temporarily blinding us. Something most people aren't used to, but those who spend their life in the spotlight are all too familiar with. It's this -- the trappings of…

Arirang Party

Mighty percussion and dance

27 Aug 2008

Arirang Party turns the volume up to a level that would definitely disturb the neighbours. It’s a shame that much of the mighty din comes from a recorded soundtrack, albeit an often beautiful and curvaceous one that emits Andean and Celtic vibes.

5 Questions - Rosie Kay

7 Aug 2008

5 biggest influences as a choreographer: Charlie Chaplin and Fred Astaire films. Artist Otto Dix and the Weimar Republic period of German history. Merce Cunningham. Pina Bausch. My old history teacher, Philip MacKenzie, at the Royal High School. 4…

A Night at the Movies

Classic scenes from the silver screen

7 Aug 2008

Golden moments from classic Hollywood films are the inspiration for this patchy production from US choreographers Gallimaufrey & Greene. While the intention is to provide an accessible entry point for theatregoers who are less familiar with contemporary…

Holdin' Fast

The mathematics of sexuality

7 Aug 2008

As we file into the UK debut by the Czech Republic’s only professional contemporary dance company, we’re confronted by the body of a young man, draped over a blackboard covered in mathematical equations. Upstage, under a half-raised curtain, running…

Nycht-Hemeron

Poetry and motion

7 Aug 2008

Despite Outside In’s good intentions – they help young performers gain experience – neither the bland choreography nor the mediocre dancers’ technique rescues Nycht-Hemeron from its difficult early morning slot. Putatively exploring the passage of a…

State of Matter

Breakdance/contemporary fusion hits the spot

7 Aug 2008

Following last year’s pattern of hip hop informed acrobatics, ragged yet stunning male ensemble dancing and spectacular solos, 2FaCeD DaNcE Company has tightened up its structure and enhanced the showmanship. It remains a forceful display of masculine…

The Judgment of Paris

Can Can, corsets and high camp

7 Aug 2008

With sculpted, Harlow-platinum wigs, gorgeously gilded corsetry and tongues in cheeks firmly set to ‘high camp’, this riotous piece of dance theatre by Company XIV merges Baroque dance forms, Can Can and contemporary ballet to music by Offenbach and…

Damned Beautiful

Dorian Gray does discordancy

7 Aug 2008

One of many pieces pivoting on The Picture of Dorian Gray at this year’s Fringe, this duet pares down the complexities of Wilde’s novel to focus on the obsessive sexual relationship between Basil Hallward and his beautiful boy. There is some beautiful…

Todos Los Gatos Son Pardos

7 Aug 2008

Arrieritos are aiming for a different audience with Todos Los Gatos Son Pardos. Through six ensemble dances by six choreographers, it meditates on friendship, passion and bravura by adapting flamenco’s signature movements and atmosphere. Elements of…