Performance Reviews
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Matthew Bourne’s 'The Car Man'
Reworking and updating Bizet's 'Carmen'; the original set in a 19th century Spanish cigarette factory, in 'Car Man' it becomes a sweaty garage and diner in 1960’s America. The seductive gypsy becomes the brazen drifter. Matthew Bourne's love of old...
Published Thursday, 1 November, 2007 at 05:49 -
Believe it or not the producers of Dance for Camera, First Run Features, sent this particular DVD in for review after they had read our coverage of 'Take 7', a DVD that we were less than polite about not two...
Published Sunday, 7 October, 2007 at 06:57 -
It's always with some trepidation that you put a dance film DVD into the machine and wait for it to start. You are always hoping, even praying, that despite your past experiences with dance on camera, this time will...
Published Thursday, 20 September, 2007 at 05:29 -
Yellow Moon (The Ballad of Leila and Lee)
4 actors, 4 chairs and 20 scenes only indicated by the performers verbal cues. In the Traverse theatre where the audience is on 4 sides, there really is nowhere to hide. Especially for the actors or indeed the onlookers as...
Published Wednesday, 29 August, 2007 at 11:35 -
After we all got a bit fed up of mixed media and the digital invasion, we have seen a recent surge of back to basics contemporary dance. Going back to their roots, a lot of companies are getting technical (some...
Published Sunday, 26 August, 2007 at 08:04 -
Frankly I’m a bit cranky with Frankie! Seeking some light relief from the more serious task of watching dance performance, I thought I would seek out some comedy. I had been impressed by Frankie Boyle's quick wit and hilarious social...
Published Sunday, 19 August, 2007 at 09:25 -
August in Edinburgh means it's Festival time, so unless you plan on living in a hole for the next month, you may as well embrace it! (As you wont be able to walk down the street without being accosted by...
Published Sunday, 12 August, 2007 at 08:21 -
Australian Dance Theatre 'Held'
The first week in spring and the Edinburgh theatre world has been awakened from its winter season by a positively blooming programme of dance. Last week saw visits from Scottish Dance Theatre, Australian Dance Theatre and Henri Oguike Dance Company....
Published Monday, 2 April, 2007 at 10:54 -
Ultima Vez are currently one of the longest running contemporary dance companies in the world with over 20 years under their collective belt. That experience shows as they present their latest work to the UK and deliver the classy, aggressive...
Published Sunday, 18 March, 2007 at 11:33 -
Fairytale fantasy has come to contemporary dance with the debut of 'Angelmoth' from BalletLorent. Don't let the company name fool you however, Ms Lorent's company is as modern as they come in terms of movement although some point work is...
Published Saturday, 16 December, 2006 at 03:20 -
On a wet and miserable evening in December, the last thing one wants to hear upon entering the cosy cavern that is the Jazz Bar in Edinburgh, is miserable and wet music. However that’s what greeted me last night as...
Published Saturday, 9 December, 2006 at 12:28 -
Youth dance companies are in abundance across the UK at present. With that in mind you often approach a performance by one of these groups with more than a little trepidation because you get the feeling they have been set...
Published Wednesday, 8 November, 2006 at 01:00 -
Experimental dance is alive and well and Ricochet appear to be embracing it with gusto for their current touring works 'Real Deal' by Germany's Jan Pusch and 'Elsewhere' created by Wally Cardona from the United States. 'Real Deal' is the...
Published Monday, 23 October, 2006 at 12:12 -
You are almost guaranteed a stunning show when you go to see the Nederlands Dans Theater. Without a doubt, the dancers are among the best in the world in terms of skill and athleticism and the choreography is always fresh and challenging.
Published Sunday, 3 September, 2006 at 05:50 -
In my 30’s, being asked for ID at the door for the Jamie T gig should have been flattering. I took it as an indication of the average age of fan that I was about to encounter once inside the...
Published Thursday, 31 August, 2006 at 03:44 -
When choreographer, Jan De Schykel, was inspired by Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65: “how with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, whose action is no stronger than a flower”, he took the literal step of using flowers as a symbol in the piece.
Published Friday, 25 August, 2006 at 01:39 -
In the absence of any performance reviews to do we shall turn our attention to a dance film of sorts, although the connections between this film and dance are so far from abstract we best not pry too deeply. District...
Published Saturday, 12 August, 2006 at 05:42 -
Phoenix offered up a shiny red apple for its 25 year celebrations, but I found myself a more sceptical consumer than Snow White. Arthur Pita’s ‘Snow White in Black’ looks fantastic, thanks to designer Jim Bausor, the imposing set is...
Published Tuesday, 23 May, 2006 at 09:49 -
Online reporting of dance projects as they happen is a rare concept in contemporary dance so when they do pop up on the net we prick up our ears and take notice. Colina 2006 was one such project that took...
Published Monday, 8 May, 2006 at 02:42 -
Oogly Boogly; part crèche, part science project, was developed by Guy Dartnell, Tom Morris and the latter’s baby daughter. The game was born when Guy managed to keep the young lady entertained with the game for a whole hour, no...
Published Monday, 24 April, 2006 at 09:56 -
Londondance.com has been online now for more than 5 years and this week has seen the first overhaul of its antiquated design in all that time. The site is one of, if not the only, rivals to Article19 in the...
Published Tuesday, 11 April, 2006 at 06:31 -
The Capture series of films from Arts Council England has never been a series to inspire confidence but with Move Me, an interactive installation, has the series turned a corner and produced something innovative and entertaining? Move Me is a...
Published Wednesday, 22 February, 2006 at 01:28 -
The 4Dance Film programme on Channel4 over Christmas was approached with a genuine desire to see at least one good piece of dance film before the year finally ground to a halt and vanished forever. Sadly it was not to...
Published Friday, 6 January, 2006 at 07:14
An outdoor show in Birmingham, of all places, proves that dance can appeal on a large scale, sans cheap tricks and useless celebrities!
It's another festival, it's huge, it's in Vienna and this is the last festival we are ever going to write about!
The latest online photo editor comes to life. A handy tool for dance folk on the move, read the article watch a screencast!
