DANCE | Previews D A N C E
CONTEMPORARY DANCE PHOENIX DANCE THEATRE Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 5 Mar
You don’t become the UK’s longest standing contemporary dance company outside London for nothing. During its 35 year history, Phoenix Dance Theatre has undergone many changes, but its ability to attract exciting choreographers has remained consistent – and their 2016 tour is no exception. Better known for her work in musical theatre, and Les Miserables in particular, Kate Flatt can entertain an audience. Her new work for Phoenix, Undivided Loves, is inspired by six Shakespeare sonnets, set to a percussive score by Brazilian composer Adriano Adewale. ‘Kate has wanted to set some of the sonnets to dance for a long
time,’ explains Phoenix’s associate artistic director, Tracy Tinker, ‘and we thought the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death was the perfect time. So what she’s tried to do is keep the traditional and historical context of them, but bring them into the modern age.’
Also creating a brand new work for Phoenix, is Caroline Finn, winner of Matthew Bourne’s 2014 New Adventures Choreographer Award. Finn’s prize was a commission from Phoenix, the result of which is Bloom. ‘Caroline has been well known in Europe for a while,’ explains Tinker, ‘and she’s just been made artistic director of the National Dance Company of Wales. She has such a unique choreographic voice, and Bloom is a wonderful, quirky and eccentric piece.’
Completing the triple-bill, is Itzik Galili, who has re-worked
his 1997 piece, Until.With / Out.Enough. Renowned for creating emotionally intense works, the Israeli choreographer used the piece to explore the closed spaces within our minds. ‘Itzik made this piece fairly early on in his career, so he’s given it a bit of a facelift with new costumes, lighting design and slight choreographic tweaks,’ says Tinker. ‘The dancers look amazing because it’s so athletic and powerful, full of tension, sensitive duets and high energy group sections – it’s a real marathon for them.’ (Kelly Apter)
R E T A L S N A R B
I
I I
C V O L D O B A L E A H M
CONTEMPORARY DOUBLE BILL SCOTTISH DANCE THEATRE Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 17 & Thu 18 Feb
Process Day and Dreamers follow Scottish Dance Theatre’s reputation for accessible, thrilling contemporary choreography. It’s a double bill that artistic director Fleur Darkin says comes from ‘choreographers who bring something fresh, a unique style and not necessarily the high leg kicks.’ Process Day is a new piece from Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar which is inspired by club culture, while choreographer Anton Lachky uses improvisation to unleash the dancers’ dynamism for Dreamers. With a distinct vision that recognises the power of dance as a unique expression of experience, SDT always seeks new audiences. ‘Process Day will appeal to the cool cats,’ laughs Darkin. ‘The musical is incredible with a nocturnal feel.’ Recognising that dance captures the physical experience of daily life, Fleur adds, ‘this piece expresses feeling – unconscious and felt – but not talked about.’ As part of the company’s 30th anniversary,
this double bill presents the possibilities for contemporary choreography. Exploring the experience of being alone in a crowd, Process Day shows how dance can reach beyond words. ‘Dance is powerful,’ she concludes. ‘There is nothing like it.’ (Gareth K Vile)
88 THE LIST 4 Feb–7 Apr 2016
YOUTH DANCE DESTINATIONS Tramway, Glasgow, Sat 5 Mar
It flashes past on stage, but behind every short piece of dance lies months of creation and preparation. Not only on the work itself, but the dancers honing their craft, and bodies, ready to present it.
So when YDance holds its annual youth dance showcase, Destinations, it’s not only a chance for young people to share their hard work and skill, but for those funding it to see how well their money is spent. ‘It’s a platform where young people from across Scotland can showcase their talents,’ says YDance artistic director, Anna Kenrick, ‘and demonstrate to the dance community that if you have the right infrastructure in place, and groups are supported over a long period of time, they can achieve amazing pieces of art.’ One such group is the National Youth Dance
Company of Scotland, which is being supported by Kenrick herself. The company’s new work, Maelstrom, premieres at Destinations and is inspired by our increasing reliance on technology.
‘We now see more data in a day than we used to in a lifetime,’ says Kenrick, ‘and that got me thinking – how does that relate to the chaotic world we find ourselves living in? So we explore the positives of having all this technology, but also what we are losing at the same time.’ (Kelly Apter)
DANCE-THEATRE PURPOSELESS MOVEMENTS Tramway, Glasgow, Thu 25–Sat 27 Feb
Robert Softley Gale, co-artistic director of Birds of Paradise, is one of Scotland’s most irreverent and provocative theatre-makers. Wendy Hoose, a previous BoP production, was a riotous romp and his solo shows challenge lazy ideas about ‘disability theatre’ through humour and physical theatre.
‘I realised that I had more to say about my impairment,’ he says. ‘I wanted to include other perspectives on cerebral palsy. Some disabled artists have shied away from making work about specific impairments in the past; I felt it was the right time for me to ask why this was the case.’
Purposeless Movements is described as ‘dance- theatre’, but goes beyond medical analysis to explore the lives of five men. Throwing in thoughts on gender identity, Softley Gale brings his trademark sense of adventure to a subject that is rarely told. Acknowledging the influence of experimental European theatre, Purposeless Movements includes live music and video projection. ‘It lets the audience see things in microscopic detail,’ he concludes. ‘All of the performers are hugely captivating. The show is going to be funny, deeply moving and thought- provoking. Hopefully, the audience will want to come back to see the show again with an altered perspective!’ (Gareth K Vile)