October 2015
Royal Ballet - Raven Girl / Connectome - Royal Opera House
In McGregor’s revised version, even more has been made of the Girl’s conflicted nature. As she matures, she’s visited by visions of birds – dark, glittering creatures who try to draw her back into their world. More, too, is made of the Postman, not only as the Gi…
Royal Ballet - Raven Girl / Connectome - Royal Opera House
Slightly softening his usual skeleton-stretching style, McGregor strives hard to give each lead character a distinctive physical vocabulary, and coaxes particularly fine performances from newly appointed MBE Ed Watson (nervy, angular, staccato as the Postman) and Sarah L…
Royal Ballet - Raven Girl / Connectome - Royal Opera House
The two pieces work together rather better than either did at their premieres where they sat incongruously alongside mid-20th century classics. Here their freshness and modernity absorbs much more of the limelight... Continue Reading
Caroline Bowditch – Falling in Love With Frida - Lilian Baylis Studio Sadler's Wells
It’s not often that you see a performance which fundamentally alters your view of the world. Both a delight and a revelation, Caroline Bowditch's show is such an event. Continue Reading
Dancing More; Living More conference at City Hall
Dance and health experts came together at a special Mayor's Office organised event to look at the benefits of dance in improving health and well-being and its potential to reduce health inequalities... Continue Reading
Company Wang Ramirez - Borderline - Sadler's Wells
The dream-like Borderline takes place on a hushed, low-lit stage against soporific beats. In fact, they’ve turned down the volume so far, flattening the climaxes, that you could almost not notice what incredible dancers they are.
Caroline Thomson to step down as Executive Director of English National Ballet
After three years with the company, Caroline Thomson will step down from the head role. The search for the ENB's new Executive Director will begin this week. Continue Reading
Company Wang Ramirez - Borderline - Sadler's Wells
The biggest surprise is the rigging system. Having worked in film studios, Ramirez was inspired by the methods used for rigging cameras and thought, ‘what if we use our bodies with rigging?’ Continue Reading
Strictly with Vikki
The Strictly judges are back - and so is our ever so slightly obsessed correspondent Vikki Jane Vile... Continue Reading
Dane Hurst - dancing at Dulwich Picture Gallery
The Rambert dancer and choreographer presents a unique evening of life drawing and performance later this month - and he's also planning a new dance space for his South African home town... Continue Reading
Shaolin Monks — SHAOLIN - The Peacock
Performance reviewed: 30 September 2015 I’m mighty glad that the Buddhist monks of the Shaolin Temple are such peace-loving, humble people. If this were not the case, I really wouldn’t want to get on the wr… Continue Reading
Martha Clarke and Signature Theatre - Chéri - Linbury Studio Theatre, ROH
Ferri’s dance technique is preternaturally youthful still, but she can morph from skittish ardour to haggard-looking defeat in a convincing second.
Martha Clarke and Signature Theatre - Chéri - Linbury Studio Theatre, ROH
If the Royal Ballet, upstairs in the main house, can find this sort of charge or tragedy at any point in their current run of MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, they will be doing well.
Martha Clarke and Signature Theatre - Chéri - Linbury Studio Theatre, ROH
This is one of my best experiences of dance theatre, seamlessly merging spoken text with choreography, with that most essential ingredient of brevity. This is a production that succeeds by doing just enough and no more. Continue Reading
Lea Anderson - on music, dance, design & making new work
The choreographer/creator of The Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs is preparing to open a new show - 'Ladies and Gentlemen' at The Place this week... Continue Reading