Dance

The Porcelain Project

2 Oct 2008

DANCE/VISUAL ART In the normal run of things, dancers rehearse, set-makers build and eventually the two elements come together. Not so with The Porcelain Project. The latest offering from Belgium’s Needcompany started life as an artwork by…

Scottish Ballet

4 Sep 2008

Since its reinvention five years ago, Scottish Ballet has embraced a wide variety of dance styles, the full gamut of which it's managed to squeeze into one diverse mixed bill. Featuring works by the mother of American postmodern dance, Trisha Brown, New…

Floored genius

4 Sep 2008

Hula-hooping, burlesque and aerial acrobatics are all withinreach of your twinkle toes this autumn if you have the urge. The phenomenal success of the Strictly Come Dancing and recent Hollywood offerings including Shall We Dance? and Step Up seems to…

Deca Dance

edfest.tv - video

1 Sep 2008

Highly energized, daring and humorous dance from Israel's Batsheva Dance Company in a programme of works specially devised to showcase the breadth of choreographer Ohad Naharin's work

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.

Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray

Thoroughly modern Oscar

21 Aug 2008

Although no one would bat an eyelid today, Oscar Wilde’s gothic novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray caused shock and outrage when it was published in 1890. The tale of an impressionable young man who becomes obsessed with his own image, had a little too…

Scottish Dance Theatre

Two very different displays of talent

21 Aug 2008

It’s not bombastic patriotism to suggest that some of the most accomplished and satisfying contemporary dance on the Fringe is homegrown. These two works performed by Scottish Dance Theatre are an excellent showcase for the jaw-dropping versatility of…

5 Questions: Dance

21 Aug 2008

David WW Johnstone, artistic director of Edinburgh-based experimental arts unit talks about his new show, Aurora Borealis, and why you should be heading to Dance Base to see it What 5 things/people inspire you most in your work? Japanese…

Behind The Mirror

Bizarre love triangle

21 Aug 2008

At first, Ad Infinitum’s infectious romp plays out like a physical theatre version of The Odd Couple, the buffoonish protagonist embarking on a slapstick turf war with his demonic reflection, who has escaped from his rightful side of the mirror. The…

Dancing on your Grave

Songs in the key of death

21 Aug 2008

Dancing on your Grave indulges in gothic vaudeville: an hour of songs about death, sung by ghostly clowns pursuing a most pessimistic vision. After an hour, however, the monomania starts to wear thin. Apart from the odd reflection on lives ill-lived or…

Deca Dance 2008

21 Aug 2008

Whenever you read about Batsheva Dance Company, a few key words come up time and again; adjectives like ‘exuberant’, ‘joyful’ and ‘energetic’. This is thanks, in large part, to their choreographer Ohad Naharin. Drawing together short sections from ten…

Family

Martial arts and B-boy battles

21 Aug 2008

Head spins. Body spins. Spinning hand stands. Spinning kicks. Spinning on one hand. This energetic show from Korea makes outrageous martial arts and breakdance moves look so effortless that you begin to believe you could do it all yourself.

Hitlist: Dance

21 Aug 2008

Deca Dance 2008 A stunning retrospective of works by choreographer, Ohad Naharin and his incredible Batsheva Dance Company. Take your non-dance loving friends and convert them. Edinburgh Playhouse, 473 2000, 28–30 Aug, 8pm, £8–£28. Matthew…

One More Than One

Love comes in different shapes and sizes

21 Aug 2008

The thing about computer dating is that you never quite know what you’re going to get. Or, more to the point, who. Having met online, two characters meet in person to discover that along with all the things they do have in common – there are a few…

State of Matter

edfest.tv - video

19 Aug 2008

2007's all male smash returns. A fusion of contemporary and breakdance.

Cloudcuckooland

edfest.tv - video

18 Aug 2008

Our feathered friends battle to save the planet with bird poo in this riotous new comedy musical for all the family. Performed by seven all-singing, all-dancing actor-musicians. Inspired by Aristophanes' The Birds.

The Vanishing Point

Awe inspiring spectacle on stilts

14 Aug 2008

The Vanishing Point is sheer delight. The stilt walkers, communicating to each other through some sort of primeval whale song, trace a pattern of evolution from dinosaur-like creatures and sexually charged tribal people to, briefly, dead-eyed office…

Mudfire

Awe inspiring spectacle on stilts

14 Aug 2008

I picked the wrong day to go and see US acrobatic company Carpetbag Brigade's two Fringe offerings. After 48 hours of rain their outdoor performance space at Sweet ECA had turned swamp and the company was making do with a hastily-converted studio space.

5 Questions - Ruth Janssen

14 Aug 2008

As Scottish Dance Theatre lights up the Fringe with its superb double-bill of dynamic contemporary works, dancer Ruth Janssen faces the music.

Chess

Moving Taiwanese tragedy

14 Aug 2008

Fortunately avoiding elaboration of the central metaphor - war as chess - this Taiwanese company, Dansmusicians presents a sumptuous and skilled performance. With superb dancers, a tragedy played for pathos not sentimentality and a ravishing soundtrack…

Festival dance hitlist

14 Aug 2008

Bale de Rua, The Vanishing Point, Mortal Engine, Steve Reich Evening, Scottish Dance Theatre, Children of the Khmer, State of Matter

Hemingway's Havana

Buena Vista vibe heavy on Hemingway

14 Aug 2008

Featuring Cuban music legends, such as Papa Oviedo (master of the guitar-like tres), diva singer Siomara Valdes and nimble salsa legend Eric Turro, Hemingway's Havana puts up all the signs of being a sure-fire winner, and then takes the edge off with a…

Lost in the Wind

Lost Spectacles brings the outside inside

14 Aug 2008

Remember Let's Pretend, the kids TV show where the cast made up a play using whatever props and costumes found in the dressing-up box? This offbeat show from Lost Spectacles has a similarly patchwork feel to it. The cast use simple objects such as a…

Mortal Engine

14 Aug 2008

Using cutting-edge technology, Australia’s Chunky Move dance company explores human interaction and mortality. Performed on a steeply raked stage, the show features patterns of music and sound triggered by the dancers’ movement and re-routed back to the…

Phantomysteria

Apocalyptic open-air performance

14 Aug 2008

A chimp-pig like creature and a sinewy torn-suited survivor find solace in each other before enforcers aggressively intervene. The planet is destroyed and those who remain are living at the beginning of an era where new laws reign. But because humans…

Polaris

Poignant Czech mime

14 Aug 2008

This drama of two men lost in the Antarctic is in danger of giving mime a good name. Using very few props, a howling soundtrack and jumping between human and animal, Vojta Svejda and Jan Benes-McGadie relate their impressionistic story with winning…

Rise

The oppressive side of urban life

14 Aug 2008

Gotham City meets the streets of Bladerunner in this atmospheric exploration of urban angst. Donned in hoodies and combats, five performers invoke an overpowering claustrophobia as they fight tension and pressure through slow-motion breaks and…

Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca

Pain and passion on the dancefloor

14 Aug 2008

Noche Flamenca is less a company and more of a community. Founded in Madrid in 1993, by artistic director Martin Santangelo and his Flamenco dancing wife, Soledad Barrio, the group is far more concerned with expressing its artistry than grabbing the…

Spirit of the Samurai

Swordplay blunted by repetition

14 Aug 2008

This display of Samurai skill comes with a weighty pedigree: company director Tetsuro Shimaguchi not only appeared in Kill Bill 1, but choreographed the sword fighting scenes. He's working with hugely skilled performers here, and they know their target…

Steve Reich Evening

Music and dance pioneers in perfect harmony

14 Aug 2008

She's one of the most prominent names in European contemporary dance, he's a giant of American minimalist music. Together, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Steve Reich make quite a pair - although their partnership is a result of admiration, rather than…

The Factory

Multi-media battle against consumerism

14 Aug 2008

After last year's engaging Druthers, Precarious' blunt economic parable is disappointing. While their approach - fusing rough-hewn choreography, jittery multi-media and over-blown speech - is fascinating, the Fringe atmosphere exposes The Factory as…

Transgression

Taking it to extremes

14 Aug 2008

Transgression is a breathtaking showcase of urban sports skills, taking in BMXing, skateboarding, inline skating, freerunning, even extreme unicycling. Performed on one of the Fringe's most unique venues - a full skate park and ramps surrounded by a…

Match

edfest.tv - video

11 Aug 2008

Fearghus O'Conchuir's presents his football-inspired male duet, 'Match'.

Bale de Rua

edfest.tv - video

11 Aug 2008

Featuring an exhilarating blend of capoiera, hip hop and original music, this street ballet will have you dancing in the aisles.

parallel/parallels

edfest.tv - video

11 Aug 2008

Award-winning choreographer Frank McConnell explores the world of parallel universes in this 'Dance Base Presents...' production. Song, text and dance explore the meaning of relationships with a sideways look at metaphysics and philosophy.

Enclosure 44 - Humans

edfest.tv - video

8 Aug 2008

Performers inside an animal enclosure reveal an extraordinary display of behaviour and movement, exploring the animalistic nature within us all!

Children of the Khmer

Cambodian song and dance

7 Aug 2008

This is as inspiring as it gets. An ensemble of young talented performers from Cambodia delivering perfectly orchestrated dance routines that are soulful, funny, enthusiastic and set against a powerful musical backdrop. It starts off on a mellow…

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…

Bale de Rua

Brazilian back flips and beats

7 Aug 2008

The gorgeous Bale de Rua troupe rules the stage with enthralling drum beats, breathless body movements and innovative set pieces. Telling a loose story of the slaves who came to Brazil, this semblance of structure bows down before a musical journey that…

Capoeira Knights

Brazilian back flips and beats

7 Aug 2008

Taking over a modest stage at The World in Shandwick Place, the Capoeira Knights bring a piece of the favelas to Edinburgh. Less elaborate than Bale de Rua, this is nevertheless packed with muscle, attitude and a big hunk of upbeat Brazilian soul.

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…

Flamenco, Flamenco!

Spanish flavour at the Fringe

7 Aug 2008

While they have a shared heritage, these two shows take radically different approaches to Spain’s national dance. Ricardo Garcia’s Flamenco, Flamenco! features four virtuosos, with the emphasis as much on music as on dancing. Ricardo’s acoustic…

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…

Nina Ananiashvili

7 Aug 2008

Having just turned 45, the days in which Nina Ananiashvili can perform moves like this must surely be numbered. So now’s the time to catch one of the finest prima ballerinas of her generation. A dancer with the Bolshoi for many years, Ananiashvili now…

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…

Sa-Choom

Sensory Korean overload

7 Aug 2008

They call it a dance musical but Sa-Choom is more like a happy assault vehicle. Big beats mix with big smiles in a rolling collision of breakdancing, martial arts, techno, hip hop and glossy pop. It’s all about feeling good, and with the verve and…

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…