A message for today: Akram Khan’s Jungle Book reimagined
Greed, exploitation, fear, desperation, concern, hopelessness, but also a message that change is possible
Europe
Life and death, the worldly and otherworldly: Asun Noales’ La mort I la donzella
The passage from life to death, premature death, the pain and dismay after the death of beloved ones…the fragility of life…
Light, shadow, and balloons in three by Philippe Saire
Vittorio Bertolli and Philippe Chosson were remarkably expressive in Hocus Pocus and Vacuum, works that both make great use of light and darkness
Thomas Hauert & ZOO: Efeu
Mercat de les Flors, BarcelonaJanuary 20, 2023 At the end of a sunny day, as most Barcelona days are, even in winter, Swiss dancer Thomas Hauert and his company ZOO performed at the beautiful La Casa de la Danza, better known as Mercat de les Flors, the city’s theatre dedicated to showing contemporary dance. Founded … Read more
A rollercoaster of feelings: LOST TRACK by Sommer Ulrickson
An excellent show. Relational dynamics abound. Jealousy, flirting, fun, excitement, make-outs, clashes, displeasure and mixed feelings are showcased
Four choreographers, four works: Gauthier Dance in Swan Lakes
An homage to the familiar ballet. But while each of the four works was inspired by the classic, each is decidedly contemporary and different.
Stuttgart Ballet’s new family-friendly Nutcracker
By Edward Clug, with sets and costumes by the acclaimed Jürgen Rose. And it’s the 85-year-old Rose’s designs that stick most in the memory
Badisches Staatsballett: Ruß – Eine Geschichte von Aschenputtel (Soot – A Retelling of Cinderella)
Bridget Briner’s complex, impressive version that relocates the story and tells it from the perspective of Livia, one of Cinderella’s stepsisters
Clean, sleek, stylish: Badisches Staatsballett in David Dawson’s Giselle
Modern yes, but still a ballet driven by emotions and imperfect people…and that in Act II especially, touches in all the right places
Delving into the recesses of Prospero’s mind: Dance Theater Heidelberg in Island
Outstandingly performed, sadness and melancholy pervades in Pérez’s intense, magnetic work that puts a new face on Shakespeare’s drama.
A Nutcracker with a difference. Christian Spuck’s Nussknacker und Mausekönig for Ballett Zürich
Complex and a real puzzle, for a while, Spuck’s ballet is very disorienting although it does become increasingly clear as the familiar starts to emerge