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BALLET NORTHERN BALLET: CASANOVA Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Thu 23–Sat 25 Mar
Growing up in 18th-century Venice, Giacomo Casanova studied law, trained as a priest, worked as a writer and violinist, served time in prison and jumped from one maverick project to the next before his death aged 73. And yet today, he’s associated with one thing only: sex.
‘Casanova himself would be appalled at what he has been remembered for,’ says choreographer Kenneth Tindall, whose new work for Northern Ballet aims to paint the Italian in a more three-dimensional light. ‘He slept with 130 women, which works out at about four a year. If you compare that to somebody like Peter Stringfellow who’s slept with thousands of women, it isn’t that much. I think that fact has completely been lost when it comes to Casanova.’ Not that Tindall has disregarded the original lothario’s reputation for enjoying the
company of women, far from it. His affairs of the heart (and body) are depicted through a series of sensual pas de deux sprinkled throughout the ballet. But with such a full life to represent, how did Tindall decide what to include? ‘It was really difficult,’ he says. ‘But I hunted down Ian Kelly, who wrote the 2008 biography, Casanova: Actor, Lover, Priest, Spy, and I started there. We cherry-picked what we thought would represent him best, give an exciting theatrical experience, but most of all hopefully give the audience a different perspective of the man himself, while not forgetting that serial womaniser tag he has.’ (Kelly Apter)
CONTEMPORARY SCOTTISH DANCE THEATRE Dundee Rep, Fri 10 & Sat 11 Feb; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 3 & Sat 4 Mar
If you’re going to take a big bite out of the dance world, it’s important to cut your teeth in the right place. London-based dancer and choreographer Botis Seva now runs his own company (the aptly named Far from the Norm) but began his career with Tony Adigun’s superb hip-hop group, Avant Garde Dance.
‘Working with Tony, I learnt to be bold with my artistic choices and creative statements and to take risks to create whatever inspires me as an artist,’ says Seva. ‘It gave me the tools to harness the understanding of my body and the connection with music.’
Invited to create a new work with Scottish Dance Theatre, to sit alongside
Anton Lachky’s fast-paced Dreamers (pictured) on the company’s spring tour, Seva began to reflect on society and the regimented daily lives people lead. The result is TuTuMucky, a piece which experiments with classical music and the hip- hop genre, while exploring the way we’re shaped by the world around us.
‘My aim was to find beauty in simplicity and not be infected by the chaos,’ says Seva. ‘We’re constantly bombarded by so many messages on how we should create work or live our lives. So we need to find ourselves within this chaos, and once we've found that, there is peace and individuality. I want to disrupt and deconstruct everything we’ve been told as dancers and makers, and inspire other creatives to find their own pathways.’ (Kelly Apter)
BALLROOM ANTON & ERIN: SWING TIME Caird Hall, Dundee, Fri 3 Mar; Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 4 Mar; Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sun 5 Mar
It’s a partnership that has lasted longer than many marriages. Although, according to Anton Du Beke, that may well be the secret to his 20-year connection with dancer Erin Boag. ‘Erin would probably say it’s the fact she married somebody
else,’ says Du Beke with a laugh. ‘And I don’t think I can blame her for that.’ Instead, the duo has enjoyed a professional relationship that took them from competitive ballroom dancing to prime-time television via Strictly Come Dancing.
About to embark on their ninth theatre show, Swing Time,
filled with classic numbers such as ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ and ‘I’ve Got Rhythm’, Du Beke is the first to admit that Saturday night TV has done dance the power of good. ‘Before Strictly, nobody would have come to our show,’ he says. ‘Dance has always been at the bottom of the arts leader board, as it were. Ballet did its thing, then there was musical theatre, contemporary and street dance, and it was all a bit niche. But because of Strictly, those worlds have come together and it’s introduced new audiences to dance.’
Swing Time is a case in point, with Anton and Erin surrounded
by musical theatre dancers, vocalist Lance Ellington and a 25-piece band. So when the two stars glide out dressed to the nines, ballroom has a chance to shine. ‘Our dancers are all from musical theatre, not straight
ballroom,’ explains Du Beke. ‘Which I think is nice, because then when the ballroom dancing happens, it’s somehow a bit more special. And then we’ll have songs, duets and three- handers with Lance, because two hours is quite a long time just to do ballroom. It also allows me to be a bit indiscreet about people on Strictly: I think the audience enjoys that because it’s a bit of fun.’ (Kelly Apter)
88 THE LIST 1 Feb–31 Mar 2017