THEGAYUK

Tag: Dance

All the latest breaking news on dance. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on dance.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella

    ★★★★★ | Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella

    Matthew Bourne's Cinderella review

    From the muted grey-scale colour palette of the opening act, through the smoke-filled streets of the Blitz and onto the underground dance halls of war-torn London, Matthew Bourne’s bold,  vivid and visually stunning reimagining of Cinderella is an utter delight. Doting to her father, mercilessly teased by her (extended) stepfamily and berated by her stepmother, Cinderella finds love amongst the destruction, as she falls for Harry, a dashing pilot.

    Bourne creates a world which is rich in characterisations, from the transformation of the mouse-like Cinderella into the belle of the ball to the Cruella de Ville style stepmother and the humorous, and deliciously creepy, foot-fetishist stepbrother. Every dancer tells an individual story, and each character has their own tale to tell. Yet despite having so much to look at, Bourne’s choreography seamlessly blends dance styles including lindy hop, jazz and ballet to create a clearly defined and easy to follow narrative; and there is a tangible sense of atmosphere permeating the theatre both within and throughout every scene. But underneath the fairy tale spectacle of it all, is a slightly darker story of love, yearning and belonging, bringing with it the power to pack an emotional punch.

    In a cast of technically precise dancers, Ashley Shaw is captivating as the titular heroine, whilst Andrew Monaghan simply excelled as he cut a swathe across the floor as the dashing pilot, proving that the romanticised notion of the leading man is still very much around. Lez Brotherston’s set design is superb, reflecting the hum-drum monotony of Cinderella’s home life in Act 1 before (quite literally) exploding into a riot of colour and movement in the second act and continuing to surprise well into Act 3. The show has a cinematic quality and feel to it, and is as inventive and multi-layered as it is visually exciting.

    Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella is a phenomenal breath-taking production which is absolutely sublime on every level.

    The show runs at Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until 19th May 2018 before continuing on its national tour. New Adventures has recently announced a new national tour for Swan Lake for 2018/19

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Northern Ballet’s The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas – CAST Theatre and National Tour

    ★★★| Northern Ballet’s The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas

    Based on the best-selling book, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas tells the story of two boys; Bruno, the son of a concentration camp Commandant and Shmuel, a young Jewish prisoner; as they befriend each other from opposing sides of the barbed wire fence.

    Boy In The Stripped Pyjamas review

    Whilst a ballet based on the Holocaust may not seem an obvious choice, Northern Ballet’s production is well conceived. Utilising a muted colour palette alongside an original score which is laden in strings and piano to create a real sense of foreboding; the ballet is surprisingly well paced and despite its setting, manages to find some gentle and rather tender moments amongst the difficult subject matter, nowhere more evident than in the burgeoning friendship between the two boys.

    Never straying very far from the original source material of the children’s book, Daniel de Andrade’s choreography is straightforward and uncomplicated; conveying the narrative without fuss and providing a clearly defined demarcation between different characters and scenes, which ultimately leads to the production of a ballet which is readily accessible to the whole family.

    Matthew Koon impresses with his portrayal of Bruno, conveying the character’s innocence and bringing to his performance a child-like vivaciousness, which contrasts nicely with Filippo Di Vilo’s suitably understated portrayal of the hopelessness of Shmuel. However, it is Mlindi Kulashe’s performance as The Fury, which stands out; bringing a menacing presence and an incredible suppleness which comes across in his technically impressive performance.

    Given the setting of the story, the ballet has the potential to be divisive in terms of its appropriateness; but Northern Ballet have produced a rather simplistically presented piece which handles matters with sensitivity and respect, and brings with it a genuine emotional punch which is derived from its narrative and characterisations.

    The show had its world premiere at CAST in Doncaster (www.castindoncaster.com)  before commencing its national tour calling at Wolverhampton, Leicester, Richmond, Aylesbury, Stoke, Bromley. Leeds and Hull. Visit www.northernballet.com for further details.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dancing with the Devil

    ★★★ | Dancing with the Devil

    Josh Brandao and Nicolai Kornum
    Josh Brandao and Nicolai Kornum

    Rudolph Nureyev was one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. His colourful life and volatile personality make him a fascinating study and a perfect subject for drama. Aletta Lawson has taken an inspired premise of looking at Nureyev’s life in retrospect via his dying delusions. Starting in his Parisian flat in the early 1990s we see Nureyev in his early 50s, weak and frail, in denial about his imminent death from an AIDS. related illness. He opens and closes a jewellery box, conjuring up hallucinations of his most famous dance partner Margot Fonteyn (who sits on a lit podium like a ballerina on a spring in a child’s music box). His memories drift back to his early life, through to his present illness.

    The program contains a writer’s note stating that the play isn’t intended to be a biography. Bizarrely, the play then runs as a biography with a whistle stop and often superficial imagining of key events in Nureyev’s life. We briefly glimpse a troubled childhood, the discovery of his talent, his defection to the West, his love affair with Eric Bruhn and some of the more show-business aspects of his stardom. It’s a lot to fit into ninety minutes and the play suffers for this, often failing to have impact or to convincingly engage with emotional events.

    Benny Maslov is spookily reminiscent of Nureyev and he works well within the confines of an often-clumsy and occasionally mawkish script. The moments where he dances are illuminating and captivating although sadly sparse. He captures a multi-faceted character perfectly, veering from petulant arrogance, passionate perfectionism through to glimpses of vulnerability and fragility.

    There are some good scenes such as the one where Rudolph and Eric first meet or the occasional interactions with Nureyev and Fonteyn. Sadly, these are few and far between and the play feels bogged down by its awkward dialogue and occasionally clumsy presentation. Some of the accents feel like they belong in terrible 1980s sit-com ‘Allo ‘Allo and the acting is variable with some uncomfortable moments that are painfully pantomime where the comedy falls entirely flat.

    This is worth seeing for Maslov’s performance alone but that aside this is a 5 star performance from an accomplished actor and dancer in a 2 star play.

    Dancing with the Devil plays at Sadlers Well until 29th of June 2016

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Into The Hoods: Remixed, National Tour

    ★★★★ | In The Hoods: Remixed

    Two children are lost on the Ruff Endz Estate and in exchange for a bus ticket home; they agree to help The Landlord, who sends them out on a quest to find the gifts he wants to give his daughter for her 18th birthday.

    Their search, to find an iPhone as white as milk, a hoodie as red as blood, weave as yellow as corn and trainers as pure as gold, leads them on an adventure with the residents of Beanstalk Towers. Spinderella, wants to DJ at the ball, Lil Red has just signed a recording deal with Wolf, of Big Teef Records, Jaxx lives in the basement and is trying to avoid eviction and Rap-en-Zel will do anything to escape her room.

    In this hip-hop, street-dance fairy-tale, the story is little more than an excuse for some spectacular choreography, made up of routines laced with humour and character. There are some superb set pieces, nowhere more evident than in the 70’s style afro-tastic party of the local gangster and the explosion of break-dancing pensioners in Grandma’s retirement home.

    Borrowing from the familiar fairy-tale stories which are re-written for the hip-hop generation, the show is incredibly well presented, made up of superb animated backdrop projections, clever lighting and simple division of the four intertwining stories by use of colour and character. The routines provide for clearly defined and detailed characters that come across solely by the use of dance and music; and Kate Prince’s confident direction is effective in conveying the narrative and bringing out the best in the ridiculously talented cast.

    Based loosely on the Stephen Sondheim musical, of a similar name, Into the Hoods: Remixed is a streetwise, mash up of music with a smart, sassy and humorous personality performed by a slick, polished and disciplined cast. With its use of snippets of a variety of songs from different genres and styles to tell the story, it has a hint of “Moulin Rouge” about it and an energy which falls somewhere between relentless and jaw dropping. Into The Hoods is both impressive and great fun, and you cannot help but be swept up by this very entertaining and vivacious production.

    Into the Hoods is currently on national tour until the 9th April 2016. Full details can be found on the show’s website at www.intothehoodsremixed.co.uk .

    Into the Hoods: Remixed was reviewed at Sheffield Theatres , who have recently launched their new season, which includes No Man’s Land starring Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart.

  • THEATRE REVIEW: St Petersberg Classic Ballet – Sheffield Theatres & National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW: St Petersberg Classic Ballet – Sheffield Theatres & National Tour

    Formed in 1996, the St Petersberg Classic Ballet is currently in the midst of their first ever UK tour, bringing an abundance of classically presented ballet and a trio of traditional tales; The Nutcracker, Giselle and Swan Lake. ★★★

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  • TRAILER: Swan Lake II: Dark Waters

    The annual contemporary performance season, Sacred, starts at the Chelsea Theatre November 5th – 28th. One piece to keep an eye on is the very talented PanicLab’s Swan Lake II.

    A new solo performance from jordan Lennie, who helped to choreograph the piece along with Joseph Mercier, is a visual treat. Jordan may be naked on stage for a lot of this performance piece, which will always draw the crowds, however the overall beauty of the piece is in the artistic playfulness of the character.

    We spoke with Joseph this week who told us,
    ‘Swan Lake II: Dark Waters takes a queer approach to ballet. It plays with aspects of the art form that are often denied or downplayed. Aspects like eroticism, campness, seduction, vanity and excess. In Swan Lake II these are highlighted and magnified in playful ways, drawing out some of ballet’s inherent queerness’.
    Watch the full trailer here:
    COMPETITION: We have a pair of tickets to give away to see Swan Lake II: Dark Waters. Free Entry Here.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance: FAR – CAST Theatre, Doncaster

    ★★★ | FAR – CAST Theatre, Doncaster

    Based on an 18th-century text, Flesh in the Age of Reason, (hence the acronym, FAR), choreographer Wayne McGregor’s piece ventures into the relationship between the flesh and the mind. Utilising a backdrop of a pin board of thousands of LED’s, glistening and twinkling like the firing of neurological pathways, a troupe of ten incredibly agile and flexible dancers intertwined and knotted together their bodies as they conveyed how ideas are formed and spread into the physicality of creativity.

    Minimalist lighting enhanced the piece, showcasing the dancers and their incredible suppleness. The fluidity of their movement was visually intriguing as they contorted their bodies in a heady mix of extended limbs, ripples and head rolls, working throughout the performance with a professional determination and intensity. The piece left me in no doubt as to the talent of the cast, with their precision movements and the sheer power of their toned and muscular physicality contrasting with the flaccidity of some of their more exaggerated double-jointed dance steps.

    The accompanying soundtrack started promisingly, with subtlety and a classic feel to it, as a duet of barefooted dancers performed a tender routine flanked by four torch bearers, but soon descended into a more industrial auditory landscape, with its constant clatters, pulses, bangs and harsh rasps which assaulted the audience with little discernible melody. The brief respites of a more traditional score were occasional and welcome, but not frequent enough and one could only think about how different the piece could have been with the addition of a more forgiving acoustic accompaniment.

    The piece is challenging, with an absence of an easily identifiable narrative and a feeling of a number of short pieces knitted together, but it ultimately left me feeling somewhat confused, with the theme of the interplay between art and science being conveyed less precisely than the movements displayed on stage. However, where McGregor does succeed is the demonstration of what can be achieved by the body when pushed to its physical limits in tandem with allowing the mind to be creative; and whether you appreciate the abstract nature of the piece or not, there is much to be admired in the physicality of the performance created.

    More information on the company can be found at http://www.randomdance.org/home . FAR was viewed at Doncaster Cast Theatre; who has a varied selection of mainstream and niche productions in their current season.

  • BROMANCE: Hot As Hell Male On Male Dancing

    Barely Methodical Troupe: an experimental acrobatic company, have just released a video dance piece which is acrobatic, magical, touching and completely hot. (more…)

  • Moscow City Ballet’s Swan Lake – Sheffield Lyceum and National Tour

    ★★★ | Moscow City Ballet’s Swan Lake – Sheffield Lyceum and National Tour

    It is a tidal wave of tights, tutus and tiaras in this presentation of one of Tchaikovsky’s most famous ballets, performed in typical traditional style by the Moscow City Ballet.

    Telling the story of a Prince who finds his youth slipping away and being pressured into marriage, he meets and falls in love with Odette, Queen of the Swans, who is under a curse from which only true love can free her. But their love is thwarted by Von Rothbart when he tricks the Prince into being betrothed to another. When the Prince realises he has been a victim of such cruel treachery, he battles to save Odette from her curse.

    Having not been overly impressed with my first visit to Moscow City Ballet (for their performance of The Nutcracker) I was not sure what to expect, but found that Swan Lake proved to be a more entertaining and gentile evening that I anticipated. The company as a whole were very talented, and the number of stumbles and heavy footed landings was significantly less than when I had seen them before. The dancers individually were all very talented and quite natural in their performances, and there is no denying the technical ability and suppleness of the cast, but when dancing as an ensemble, there were still some flaws in the performance, with the unison of the dancers not being as tight and synchronised as one would hope for and anticipate, especially from such a prestigious company.

    That aside, the vivacious and playful score by Tchaikovsky sounded as vibrant as ever, and proved absorbing, especially during the first act. There were times when the ballet sparkled brightly, nowhere more evident than the sight of a sheer volume of swans and signets in the latter portion of the second act, which amounted to a fairly mesmerising vision. The tapestry based static set was functional and place the audience in mind of the time when this ballet was first performed; and the costumes were beautifully put together. There was a romantic pas de deux and the soloists portraying the potential suitors displaying their wares at the opening of Act 3 were quite captivating.

    For those seeking a traditionally presented ballet, then this version of Swan Lake is a safe bet and a pleasant evenings entertainment, albeit one which is let down to an extent by a lack of unison within the performance, which is a shame when compared to the tightly performed routines by companies such as Northern Ballet and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. However, there remain many aspects of the show to enjoy and it is an easy, accessible ballet which is more focussed on dance and performance than detailed narrative.

    Further details can be found at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and www.moscowcityballet.com/en

  • British Dance Council To Consider Banning Same-Sex Ballroom Couples

    The British Dance Council is to consider a proposed rule change that could ban same-sex couples from competing in amateur and professional Ballroom dance competitions, which may be illegal discrimination.

    A proposal from its rules sub-committee has suggested that dance partners for Ballroom dance competitions should comprise of a “man” and a “lady”.

    The proposed rule change is:
    THAT Rule 52 be titled: “Approved Competitions and Championships” and that 52(a) should read: ‘This Council recognizes a partnership to be one man and one lady in all adult amateur and professional competitions and championships unless otherwise stated.’

    The British Dance Council is the governing body of ballroom dancing in the UK. It formulates and administers the rules for all competitions. It will consider the proposal on the 21st July.

    ‘I am really distressed that the BDC is even considering banning us. We’ve put in a huge amount of effort. To exclude us will mean that we can’t dance in mainstream competitions any more. This seems so unfair,’ said Heather Devine who competes with her female dance partner Chrisi Lyons.

    Same-sex dance couples are appalled and angry about the move to exclude them from future competitions.
    Heather Devine and her dance partner of 18 months, Chrisi Lyons, are the current European Same-Sex Senior Women’s Champions, consistently reaching the finals of the same-sex A class competitions. They are registered to enter the mainstream UK Closed Championships in Bournemouth in July.

    Sarah Hughes and Diane Willmot have competed in mainstream events all over the country since 2005. They strongly object to any retrograde rule change by the BDC which would prevent them continuing to have the freedom to participate.
    John Church and his dance partner of four years, Alex, are regarded as one of the keenest and most active of the UK’s all-male ballroom dancing couples. They also resent the rule change.

    Heather Devine said: ‘These successes show their dedication to, and passion for, ballroom dancing. They are saddened that the BDC is now considering bringing in a rule change that would exclude them from continuing to be able to dance in mainstream UK dance competitions.

    ‘Contrary to claims by some supporters of the new rule, male same-sex dance duos do not have an advantage. Ballroom dancing is not like tennis or football. Power and strength are not the key to winning. Poise, musicality, expression. timing, floorcraft and presentation are the main judging criteria. This means that two men do not have an advantage over a mixed-sex couple,’ she said.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | BalletBoyz: The Talent 2013

    ★★★★

    The BalletBoyz have been going from strength to strength since they were formed by Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt in 2001 following their breakaway from the Royal Ballet. The original remit was to make ballet more accessible and to bring challenging new works to theatres where dance was rarely seen.

    The company have certainly more than achieved their original goal and the diversity of the audience and the overwhelming cheers and applause at the end of the evening certainly prove that their latest show is a popular hit.

    The company of ten young male dancers are from diverse backgrounds and have varying levels of experience and differing skill sets. There’s a boyish French dancer who looks like he’s stepped straight from a Euro twink porn film, a beefy French dancer who would fit in easily in a Triga DVD and an assorted company of hot British boys showing off their biceps, tattoos and toned physiques. One thing they all have in common is their hard abs and rippling musculature which is particularly evident in the first piece, ‘Serpent’, choreographed by Liam Scarlett. The company are all topless dressed in skin tight Lycra which reveals every taut curve and shows off their amazing buttocks to full effect.

    The dances? I almost forgot about those. I was too busy with lechery. The two contrasting pieces are both beautifully choreographed with the challenge of using only male dancers being met fully. ‘Serpent’ uses the dancers to full effect in a fluid display of masculinity, whilst ‘Fallen’ (choreographed by Russell Maliphant) is a more brutal and altogether harder piece which utilises their gymnastic skills, mixed in with ballet and contemporary dance moves. The lighting and music combine to showcase the two pieces and add to the atmosphere.

    The show is definitely very accessible and easy on the eye. The audience in Leicester seemed to be having a fantastic time, judging by the riotous applause at the end of the evening. Whether you love dance, are new to dance or just like to sit and watch a troupe of ten young showing off their buff torsos, the show is well worth checking out.

    The show continues from the 21st of March at The Cambridge Arts Theatre

    Check out the rest of the dates (and the dancers) here:http://www.balletboyz.com