Of swans and men: Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake
Most magnificent of all, is Harrison Dowzell as The Swan… Quite unforgettable. Whether in bird form… or as The Stranger at the Act 3 ball
UK
Ruination by Lost Dog
Beyond its generous offering of dance, sound and humour, Ruination feels much defined by its extremely lovable cast
Dickensian delights: Northern Ballet’s A Christmas Carol
The setting may be dreary, but the story is warm, the characters vividly brought to life. Carols, Christmas tunes, fine dance, and a good story.
Michael Keegan-Dolan/Teaċ Daṁsa: NOBODADDY
It’s all a very long way from Keegan-Dolan’s stunning and powerful Swan Lake… Abstract to the point of meaninglessness.
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker. A real Christmas treat
Undoubtedly the best production of the ballet in this country by some distance, it’s once again casting its spell over audiences
Akram Khan’s Gigenis: the generation of the Earth
A super hour or so of theatre, one in which bharatnatyam, kathak and kutiyattam come together with ease
Pagrav Dance Company: Aunusthan
An impressive evening from an impressive company. Aunusthan means celebration’ and the show is certainly that.
The Royal Ballet: MADDADDAM
Wayne McGregor’s MADDADDAM certainly challenges… It’s a ballet that just needs time to percolate through one’s consciousness.
A journey of self-discovery: Islands by Shimmering Production
A compelling exploration that sees two dancers explore the cultural essence of their bodies as they seek to answer the questions, ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Who are we?’
Rosas: EXIT ABOVE – after the tempest/d’après la tempête/naar de storm
EXIT ABOVE is a theatrical happening but it is the sounds that linger rather than the movements.
Chunky Move: 4/4
The couples were never anything less that absolutely precise and perfectly in sync. It is quite mesmerising. For a while.