March 2009
Tango Fire at Peacock Theatre
‘The two-hour show is a trot through tango’s history, with its origins in the late 19th-century bordellos of Buenos Aieres and its journey into Europe’s respectable salons and onto the world’s ballroom stage.’
Antiono Gades Carmen at Sadler's Wells
‘The principal dancers, though good in the steps, disappoint.’
Tango Fire at Peacock Theatre
‘The twosome numbers are choreographed by the individual couples and feature their own speciality tricks: daredevil lifts, drops, slides and wrap-rounds. This is where tango meets circus.’
Henri Oguike Dance Company in Front Line/White Space/Falling/Finale at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Soutbank Centre
‘Oguike is a significant talent, albeit with a lower profile than many of his peers. This is baffling as his choreography has an ease and humour and sensuality that has long been absent from contemporary dance and which, if we’re honest, we all rather miss…
Antiono Gades Carmen at Sadler's Wells
‘This Carmen still has vigour, but it must once have been bolder, more raw, more powerful.’
American Ballet Theatre in Swan Lake at London Coliseum
‘ABT goes for girls of all sizes, so lines were a little ragged. But in their tensile strength and fierce engagement the corps magnificently captured the eerie power of wildlife en masse.’
American Ballet Theatre in Swan Lake at London Coliseum
‘As a production of a 19th-century classic, American Ballet Theatre’s Swan Lake is bonkers. As a night out, it’s a surprisingly good time.’
American Ballet Theatre in Swan Lake at London Coliseum
‘The standard of dancing is high, and in David Hallberg, who dances Prince Siegfried, ABT has one of the finest classicists on the world stage.’
Ballet Nacional de Espana at Sadler's Wells
‘The best piece is Fernando Romero’s Caprichos, a swift-moving series of portraits that builds on the company’s strengths: exacting technical standards, disciplined ensemble dancing, formal rigour.’
Siobhan Davies Dance in The Collection at Victoria Miro Gallery & Siobhan Davies Studios
‘Davies’ dance element, typically, looks sparse and unyielding on first viewing, but expands and enriches in the mind.’
Siobhan Davies Dance in The Collection at Victoria Miro Gallery & Siobhan Davies Studios
‘It opened only at the beginning of this week, but already I’ve visited The Collection twice. Partly this is because there’s much to see and ponder in an exhibition that fruitfully probes the territorial crossovers between dance, performance and the …
Siobhan Davies Dance in The Collection at Victoria Miro Gallery & Siobhan Davies Studios
‘This is dance that has evolved beyond the need for an audience. It continues, implacable, with or without you. Hold that thought.’
News: Children turn to dance
96% of schools now offering dance and sporting role models on Strictly Come Dancing are factors behind the huge increase in children, boys in particular, now taking part in dance at school. Read more in the Obse… Continue Reading
Antiono Gades Carmen at Sadler's Wells
‘Magnetic and middle-aged, Stella Arauzo’s Carmen was compelling in her fierce, independent carnality. Adrián Galia’s Don José was likewise spot-on, while Jairo Rodríguez turned the toreador into a sternly sexy cartoon. ‘
Eva Yerbabuena at Sadler's Wells
‘It is, at its best, intoxicating for the public, as are the skills of great musical virtuosi. The stage is bare, lit with some feeling for shadows; the programme lasts 90 minutes, without interval; the singers are loud, and the guitarists brilliant. For aficionado…