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18 Nov

Agon / Sphinx / Limen at the Royal Opera House

Posted by Claire Doble in Dance 3 Comments

Johannes Stepanek and Christina Arestis in Agon. Photo:Bill Cooper

The Royal Ballet’s triple bill of Agon, Sphinx and Limen at the Royal Opera House last night was an interesting lesson in the how modern classical ballet has developed. It was also, unexpectedly, an insight into the behaviour of today’s ballet audience…

The programme seemed designed to educate, starting with Balanchine’s Agon – choreographed in the 1950s, then moving to Glen Tetley’s 1977 work Spinx, and finishing with Wayne McGregor’s brand new ballet, Limen.

Agon felt very much in line with the avant garde art movements of the late 50s and early 60s. It was apparently quite revolutionary for its time. However, the stark look (costumes were basic black leotards), feel (no discernible storyline) and soundtrack (Stravinsky) left me a bit cold. And my next-door neighbours must have been completely frozen; they didn’t return after the interval.

Sphinx started off a lot better – there was actually a set. And quite an impressive one too, with two gorgeous, sweeping wings made of metal and glass, and a gleaming “altar” in between. Edward Watson as Anubis stole the show for me here – looking incredible and otherworldly even when he removed his Egyptian dog-god mask.

Limen by the Royal Ballet Company’s resident choreographer Wayne McGregror also began promisingly. A scrim with digital numbers floating across it fronted the stage, while dancers were randomly illuminated in puddles of light behind. Unfortunately, this show of technology prompted another near neighbour to bust out her digital camera, the glowing screen of which proved such a distraction I had to politely remind her it wasn’t a rock concert, while physically restraining my friend from biffing her one.

Situation averted, we settled back to the ballet, which was a celebration of lighting effects, block colours and clever movement. Thinking about it afterwards, I could see the correlation between all three ballets – each one visionary for its time; pushing the boundaries, while drawing on tradition. I might not have loved Agon but you could see that without Baly’s Ballet back then, we wouldn’t have the McGregor of today.

A quick straw poll at VL towers of audiences behaving badly has people chatting, texting, snoring and even vomiting in the theatre. What’s the weirdest thing that you’ve experienced as an audience member?

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7 Oct

Disabled Arts Given Boost for London 2012

Posted by Carinya in Arts, Dance, Music, Sport, Theatre No Comments

Tony Hall with young DJs from The BLT Crew. Credit: LOCOG

There was a buzz of excitement at the Southbank Centre today as Unlimited, the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad project to support disabled-led arts, culture and sport, was launched.

“Bring it on!” was the enthusiastic verdict of Jenny Sealey MBE, Unlimited’s Artistic Advisor and Artistic Director of Graeae Theatre Company. “There are plenty of us waiting in the wings to come and fly.”

We were given a sneak peek of the sort of talent Unlimited will be supporting over the next three years as The BLT Crew – an upbeat trio of DJs with learning disabilities – spun a selection of feel-good party tunes, from My Guy to Baby Love.

There was also a performance by Cando2, the Candoco Dance Company’s Youth Dance Company, which runs weekly classes for disabled and non-disabled youngsters at London’s Siobhan Davies Dance Studios, The Place and Aspire.

£3 million has been earmarked for the project, which will provide funding, training and a platform for disabled and deaf-led organisations and artists.

Other speakers included Tony Hall, chair of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Board and Chief Exec of the Royal Opera House – who wasted no time in getting on the decks with The BLT Crew and picking up some tips – and Chris Holmes. The nine-time Paralympic gold medal winner and London 2012 Director of Paralympic Integration entertained everyone with some sporting anecdotes before getting us all to shout “Unlimited” – and refusing to accept our feeble first attempt!

Like the project, the event was as inclusive as possible; with a sign-language interpreter on hand and instant subtitles on a large TV screen. Jenny Sealey even created a new way to “sign” Unlimited – an energetic combination of the sign language words for “create” and “explosion”.

After the launch, we spoke to Jenny about the two main obstacles facing many disabled artists:

  • negative attitudes
  • physical obstacles (such as lack of interpreters, lifts etc at venues).

“There’s still a perception that disabled performers can’t do Shakespeare, for example,” she says, with frustration, “but it’s still Shakespeare, there’s just another undercurrent to the performance. We all have our own unique selling point.”

To apply for funding or find out more about Unlimited, visit www.london2012.com/unlimited.

If you’re interested in exploring the disabled arts scene in London, why not check out Crossings, a new play by Julie McNamara at The Cochrane Theatre in London this November – it comes highly recommended by Jenny. And who knows what new talent Unlimited will uncover… watch this space!

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17 Sep

Insane in the Brain at the Peacock Theatre

Posted by Claire Doble in Dance, Music, Theatre 3 Comments

Insane in the Brain. Photo: Hakan Lårsson

Swedish dance troupe Bounce’s Insane in the Brain opened this week at Sadler’s Wells’ West End venue, the Peacock Theatre.

It’s generally ballet that fills my dance card so I was eagerly anticipating this modern, street-dance version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. And I was pleased, if not surprised, to see the audience was a bit younger and more diverse than you often get at traditional ballet performances.

This high-energy show had some fantastic choreography and use of props. The bed scene, with its percussive repetition and alternating light effects was one of my favourites. The slanted backdrop was used for some excellent acrobatics and I loved the dance-offs. I would, however, have liked to see a few scenes made a bit shorter, and the dancers really cut loose in some parts where they seemed to be holding back – this may have been opening night jitters though.

Music was a mix of hip hop (Missy Elliott, Dizee Rascal, Notorious B.I.G), cheesy chartoppers (Lionel Ritchie’s Hello, Maniac and Fame), classical compositions (Greig), metal (System of a Down) and, of course, the title track by Cypress Hill.

A clever inclusion was a short film halfway through – starring the Bounce dancers – which meant the cast could take a well-earned breather without the audience being disrupted by an interval. Plus, they sat right in front of us, so that was quite cool.

If you like things a little bit electro, a little bit shocking, you’d be crazy to miss Insane in the Brain in London until the 3 October (then at various venues around the UK until 21 November).

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28 Aug

Nike Women Outdoor Training Session

Posted by Siobhan Chapman in Classes, Dance, Open Spaces, Special Events, Sport No Comments

Getting active on the South Bank

“This is where you do your Beyonce flick” said our chirpy dance instructor.

There I was, amongst dozens of women that had braved a drizzly British summer evening to shake our booty on the South Bank, under the gaze of thousands of tourists in the London Eye.

The Nike women training club is not a traditional boot camp. There were no scary military instructors, no drill whistles and no push ups. Instead, we found ourselves entertained by a live DJ as the dancers in a blaze of colour and energy wove through the crowd busting their moves.

It wasn’t long before we were joining in, learning to groove, bump, grind and bounce as the DJ spun her tunes. I’ve never been that great with choreography – unless you count knowing every move in The Timewarp – and I felt a little self conscious at first. But all notions of British reserve disappeared with the Beyonce flick. There is no room for wallflowers in this class. And this was too much fun to be a workout. The rain was forgotten, and before I knew it, hey, I’d done the moves right. All in all, the Nike women class is a great way to challenge yourself, make new friends and learn new skills. The only downside was, like all good parties, it ended too soon.

The next Nike Women Outdoor Training Session is on 9 September. Visit www.nikewomen.com for more information.

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27 Jun

Five Places to Strut Your Stuff Outdoors

Posted by The List Man in Dance, Music, Special Events No Comments

Festival time!

Dance under the stars!
Being that I dance like a turkey with stomach ache, I find solace in the obscurity of a dark dancefloor. But London’s more confident clubbers are shedding their skins and hitting the great outdoors. Yes, superclubs such as Egg and Ministry of Sound are celebrating the summer with huge sun terraces where night owls can sip mojitos, jig among tropical plants and generally imagine they’re in Ibiza (well, there is a credit crunch, you know). I just hope airline pilots don’t mistake those glow sticks for landing lights…

Broadwalk bonanza!
The Drifters once sang about having some fun under the boardwalk (ask your mum and dad). Well, it turns out you can have just as much fun at The Broadwalk! That particular corner of Regent’s Park plays host to two brilliant outdoor dance gatherings over the summer - Broadwalk Ballroom and Tango Al Fresco. The drill is simple: learn the moves, absorb the finesse of the guest demonstrators (more often than not former Strictly Come Dancing stars), then pretend you’re from the cast of Dirty Dancing. Corny ‘Nobody puts Baby in the corner’ lines optional.

Fantastic Four!
With such dinosaurs as Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Crosby, Stills & Nash on the bill, Glastonbury 2009 could be renamed Jurassic Park 4. Promising to be slightly less arthritic (and certainly closer) is August Bank Holiday’s South West Four dance extravaganza on Clapham Common. With the likes of Sasha, John Digweed, David Guetta and Eric Prydz (yes, the one with the pervy aerobics video) on the bill, you’ll be swaying in time with the trees.

A different class!
What could be more aspirational for a wannabe dancer than taking classes across the road from the Royal Albert Hall? That’s the prospect on offer at Summer of Dance Outdoors - a group that meets every Wednesday evening (6.30pm) next to the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park. Expect jazzy funk with some Caribbean modern – and to get beeped by plenty of passing motorists!

Become a flasher!
You’ve seen the T-Mobile TV ad. You know, the one where hundreds of commuters at Liverpool Street station, without warning and exactly the same time, make like they have ants in their pants. These synchronised acts of tomfoolery are called flashmobs have become mainstream and are open to anyone with a sense of fun (and possibly too much time on their hands). They can involve anything from standing completely still to performing a victory dance at Wimbledon to encourage the British tennis players (a miracle dance might be more appropriate).

Do you know of other outdoor strutting arenas?

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