Bonachela Dance Company - The Land of Yes and the Land of No *****

Rafael Bonachela's new show The Land of Yes and the Land of No is a stunning piece of work.

Emotionally powerful, intricate and technically complex, it creates a fascinating series of tableux on the theme of subtle social control - manifested in the form of signs and instructions we encounter daily.

As soon as we leave our homes, we are told what to do and more often what not to do. But these instructions are not only physical, they have emotional resonances which go beyond the literal commands. In his first work for his own company since his appointment as Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela explores this duality and how it affects us.

I loved everything about this show, from the crystal clear sound of the beautiful original chamber music by Ezio Bosso, to the simple set of neon strips and sumptuous colour, the clean, elegant costumes and the company's phenomenally talented and charismatic troup of dancers.

All were superb, but I would have to single out former gymnast Paul Zivkovich [pictured], who is possibly the most gifted contemporary male dancer I have seen, Renaud Wiser, for his quiet intensity, Amy Hollingsworth, who is a founding member of BDC and a simply beautiful dancer, full of sinewy intent, and Fiona Jopp, who just fizzed. But the entire company were excellent.

Wonderful stuff - see it if you can.

Bonachela Dance Company

Rafael Bonachela

Coming to Manchester 2010

The first half of 2009 was great, and I saw a lot of fantastic dance, but it has felt like the second half of the year has been a bit disappointing, with relatively little progammed into Manchester theatres. However, The Lowry have just announced their first season for 2010 and there is some fantastic looking stuff booked - in addition to those few things I had already managed to find out about by trolling dance company websites. 2010 is starting to look promising.

I'm especially looking forward to the chance to see Akram Khan, Motionhouse and the Scottish Dance Theatre. It will be good to finally see Matthew Bourne's iconic Swan Lake, another chance to see the Balletboyz - with their new all-male company - and two more oportunities see the superlative Birmingham Royal Ballet. I'm also waging smalll personal campaigns to get Stan Won't Dance's new work Babel to Manchester and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet across from the States to visit the UK - and not just London!

Watch this space.

February
Bahok - akram khan company - The Lowry - 4 February

Scattered - Motionhouse - The Lowry - 9-10 February

March
Swan Lake - Matthew Bourne's New Adventures - The Lowry - 1-7 March

The Talent - Balletboyz - The Lowry - 8 March

Ballet Central - The Lowry - 16 March

NQR (Not Quite Right) - Scottish Dance Theatre - The Lowry - 23-24 March

Los Vivancos - 7 Hermanos - The Lowry - 25-27 March

The Sleeping Beauty - Birmingham Royal Ballet - The Lowry - 30 March-3 April

April
Magia de la Danza/Swan Lake - Ballet Nacional de Cuba (feat. Carlos Acosta) - The Lowry - 14-17 April

Cinderella - English National Ballet - Palace Theatre - 20-24 April

Triple Bill - Candoco Dance Company - The Lowry - 27 April

A Chorus Line - The Lowry - 29 April-8 May

May
Queer Up North festival - 14-31 May

June
Romeo and Juliet - Birmingham Royal Ballet - The Lowry - 30 June-3 July

July
Urban Moves Festival 2010 - 23-25 July

Dorian Gray *****

After a year of waiting and many months of anticipation I finally got to see Dorian Gray - fortunately with the lovely Richard Winsor as Dorian, the role he created, the stunning Michela Meazza mesmerising and achingly elegant as Lady H and Jason Piper as Basil. And my patience was rewarded. Dorian Gray was everything I hoped - sexy, gay, fast-moving, beautfully staged, full of exciting choreography, powerful acting and great music. And all from the middle of the front row in my favourite theatre...

At the post-show talk I wanted to ask Matthew Bourne why he thought no one else was creating contemporary narrative ballet - but of course I didn't. Dorian Gray proves it can be done.

Pictured: Richard Winsor as Dorian Gray, Michela Meazza as Lady H & Jason Piper as Basil Hallward

2009 - the Year in Dance

February
Henri Oguike Dance Company at Contact Theatre *****

March
The Overcoat by Gecko at Contact Theatre *****
Richard Alston Dance Company at The Lowry *****
Boulevard of Broken Dreams at the Dancehouse **** (It would have been ***** if there had been more than 20-30 people there...)
Designer Body by balletLORENT at The Lowry ***** (Beautiful and mesmerising)
Mission Possible: Lads & Dads Move! by State of Emergency at Contact Theatre *****

April
Sylvia by the Birmingham Royal Ballet at The Lowry **** (Rather silly, tremendous fun, beautifully staged and some lovely performances)
Destino on the Road (Dance United) at Contact Theatre ***** (Some very powerful pieces full of meaning by a mostly male company (again). Full Circle, featuring a young cast drawn from West Yorkshire communities, many of whom have never danced before, was strikingly moving and challenged my negative perceptions of 'community' dance. The Empire's Fall [right], choreographed and soundtracked by Hofesh Schechter, was very reminscent of the two other pieces I've seen by him but still managed to be fresh and dramatically distinctive - and thoroughly compelling.)

May
Dancing On Your Grave by The Cholmondleys and the Featherstonehaughs at the greenroom ***
Romeo & Juliet by Northern Ballet Theatre at Manchester Opera House ***** (A lavish and spectacular production, with Prokofiev's fabulous score, made for a thoroughly enoyable evening of more traditional ballet.)

June
The Rain Parade by Lost Dog at The Lowry *** (An interesting show with two very appealling performers - Ben Duke and Raquel Mesequer - but it really only came to life for me when they danced and I wished there was more of it, but I'd certainly go and see Lost Dog again.)
New English Contemporary Ballet at the Dancehouse ***** (Simply gorgeous contemporary choreography, inspired music and stunning performances. I love NECB and wish them every success.)
NDT2 at The Lowry ***** (Wonderfully talented dancers perform breathtaking choreography to an edgy crystal-clear soundtrack with brilliantly atmospheric staging. World class contemporary ballet company marred only by the dreaded audience participation. Gods and Dogs especially was simply breathtaking. An unforgettable evening.)
Verve 09 at The Lowry *** (Interesting movement too often marred by some unlistenable specially commissioned 'music')

July
Love and Loss - Birmingham Royal Ballet at The Lowry *** (Galenteries * was pretty but dull, dull, dull. The Dance House *** was rather interesting with a fantastic central pas de deux. The Dream **** - which I had the lowest expectations of - was charming, fun, vivid and intensely colourful. The mixed programme by BRB was, as usual, notably for the company's extremely talented dancers and the technical quality of the ballet and presentation.)

September
Giselle by English National Ballet at Manchester Palace Theatre ** (Pretty but dull dull dull - the story was dumb and wafer thin, the dancing not to my taste and a huge disappointment. However I did very much enjoy Wayne Eagling's all-too-brief all-male experimental piece Men Y Men.)
Kith/Kin by Company Chameleon at The Lowry **** (Hugely imaginative, intense work by two wonderful contemporary dancers. Kevin Turner and Athony Missen do the most beautiful male lifts; performers full of charm, warmth, intensity and intelligence. I would love to see them expland Chameleon into a larger company of dancers.)

October
Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray at The Lowry ***** (I forgive Matthew Bourne for the disappointment of Edward Scissorhands. Dorian Gray is magnificent - sexy, exciting, fast-moving, full of interesting choreography and quite the gayest piece of dance I have ever seen. Dorian Gray takes men dancing together to the place it's often afraid to go. Wonderful.)
Regina by Tom Sapsford at greenroom ***

November
The Land of Yes and The Land of No by Bonachela Dance Company at The Lowry ***** (Simply stunning - emotionally connected, intricate, technically complex choreography to beautiful original music, performed by a phenomenally talented set of dancers, backed up with lovely costumes, great lighting and stage design and crystal clear sound. Exactly the kind of dance I love - and done to perfection.)
Insane in the Brain by Bounce at The Lowry

December
The Mill by Ockham's Razor at The Lowry

BRB plan two Lowry visits in 2010

The Birmingham Royal Ballet will be making two visits to The Lowry in 2010, bringing two classic ballets to the city.

The Sleeping Beauty - 30 March-3 April 2010

Romeo and Juliet - 30 June-3 July 2010

Tickets for The Sleeping Beauty are on sale now. I have never seen The Sleeping Beauty so look forward to this production. I have enjoyed the Birmingham Royal Ballet every time I have seen them so far and look forward to more great dancing, sumptuous sets and costumes [below].



I saw the Northern Ballet Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet at the Opera House earlier this year, which was a splendid production, full of colour and drama. I'm sure the BRB will also do it justice [below] - and Prokofiev's score is certainly splendid enough to hear again.



I can't help wishing that the company were bringing their new contemporray piece Quantum Leaps instead though... maybe some other time.

Theatre Royal preferred option for Library Theatre

As previously reported on Methods of Dance -

Manchester’s oldest surviving theatre could be restored to its former glory if plans to make it the new home for the city’s Library Theatre Company can be realised.

Manchester City Council's Executive are currently looking at a number of options for the Library Theatre Company's future and has identified the Theatre Royal on Peter Street, as the preferred location.

Having outgrown its current home at Central Library, the Library Theatre Company has been searching for a new, more suitable venue for a number of years. The basement space at Central Library is now too small and restrictive for the Library Theatre Company to operate and they are now looking to expand and develop their range of performances and valuable community work.

A number of venues are being considered, but according to a city council report, the Theatre Royal has been identified as "the best solution" and its availability could prove to be extremely timely.

The plans will be subject to agreement with the current owners of the building and if approved, would not only offer the Library Theatre Company a more contemporary and flexible space but would also restore the theatre for its original purpose.

The transformation of the Theatre Royal would make a positive contribution to the wider regeneration of St Peter's Square, bringing the city's oldest theatre, which dates back to 1845, back into use.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Culture and Leisure said: "The benefits of this proposed relocation are manifold and will have a significant, positive effect on the cultural life of the city. The Theatre Royal - a piece of Manchester's history - would offer a great opportunity for the Library Theatre Company to develop and expand both its range of performances and its valuable community and education work, while also opening up this Grade II listed building and returning the oldest theatre in Manchester to its former glory. We're excited by the proposals."

If the plans go ahead, the Theatre Royal would provide more seating than the Library Theatre Company's current 312-capacity venue and would offer greatly enhanced facilities, attracting more audiences that would in turn contribute to the city's economy. The new venue would also enable the further development of the Library Theatre's successful educational programme and its participation with the local community.

Chris Honer, the theatre's Artistic Director said: "The Central Library has been a wonderful venue for us for over half a century but the prospect of a move to the Theatre Royal offers the Library Theatre Company a marvellous opportunity for the future. What a great story it would be to be able to turn the Theatre Royal back into a theatre."

The proposed move is part of an £155m scheme to transform Manchester's Town Hall Complex, including Central Library and the Town Hall extension, which is not only about improving and restoring buildings but which will also deliver enhanced services to the general public making everything from submitting a planning application to finding advice on benefits quicker and easier.

Refurbishment work on the Town Hall Complex including St Peter's Square, will start next year and the whole project will last up to five years. Central Library is due to close temporarily next summer and if the plans to fully restore the Theatre Royal go ahead, the Library Theatre will perform at venues around the city in the interim, offering continuous theatre provision while the changes take place.

Anyone with tickets for the Library Theatre's current season, which runs until June 2010, can be assured that productions will run as normal at Central Library.

Manchester City Council 16/10/2009

For more information on the Library Theatre visit www.librarytheatre.com

According to the Manchester Evening News and as previously discussed here the Library Theatre Company will stage a number of performances, including their successful Christmas shows, at the Lowry while their new home is readied. They are also reported to be staging several site-specific productions around the city. Exciting times.

I See Swans - Beautiful Male Swans!

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake will return to Sadler's Wells this Christmas for a 7 week season from 10 December.

The production received its World Premiere at the 'old' Sadler's Wells in November 1995 and was last seen at the venue for the Christmas Season 2006/7.

Casting news will be announced on the New Adventures website in the coming months.


This production will then go on tour in 2010 - hopefully stopping by the waterside at the Lowry for a few nights - as I would love an opportunity to see this groundbreaking production.

STOP PRESS: Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake will appear at The Lowry 1-7 March 2010.

Motionhouse - Scattered

Motionhouse - Scattered
The Lowry
9-10 February 2010

Motionhouse

Giselle...zzzzzzz

I went to see the English National Ballet's production of Giselle this evening, and whilst it looked pretty good and had some rather splendid lightning effects, I found it tedious in the extreme. The wafer thin story, the excessive amounts of miming and dance acting, the underuse of the corps de ballet for pretty much the entire first act and the endless sequences of solos made for a very dull evening - for me at least.

The most enjoyable part of the evening - apart from a rather lovely bearded young fellow selling programmes and ice creams - was an addition to the programme I had not been expecting. As Giselle makes scant use of the company's male dancers, Artistic Director Wayne Eagling has choreographed a new all-male prelude Men Y Men, which opened the show.

"The ballet really came out of the necessity of keeping the men busy, and fit," Eagling is quoted in the programme. "The ballet is an experiment of men partnering men, men lifting men, men, men, men...!"

So, on a dramatically lit bare stage the male dancers of the company walked and span and jumped and lifted each other, clad only in black trousers. This was the 3rd performance of the piece and I throughly enjoyed it. The Rachmaninov setting was dullish but the dancing was creative and impressive, still very much within classical ballet forms but necessarily forcing more contemporary movement - and it managed to be more visually arresting and compelling than poor Giselle flouncing around the forest in her peasant dress.


Wayne Eagling may consider his men dancing with men an experiment. I can't help wondering if he ever sees any contemporary ballet? What's experimental for the English National Ballet is business as usual for many of the companies I've seen in the last couple of years.

A most welcome break with 'tradition' for me.

Regina - exploring Elizabeth I

Coming soon to greenroom -

Exploring the life of Queen Elizabeth I, Regina fuses dance, text and video to create a theatrical portrait of this iconic monarch. Regina examines the tensions inherent in Elizabeth as both an icon and an individual.

For Regina, award-winning choreographer Tom Sapsford (Royal Ballet, Michael Clark) has collaborated with cutting edge computer artists KMA (Darshan Singh Bueller, DV8) and Stevie Stewart (formerly one half of the innovative and influential fashion design label BodyMap and designer for Kylie Minogue) to realise the rich imagery of Elizabeth’s world.

Regina
greenroom
Friday, 30 October
8pm

This show will aslo appear as part of Glasgow's queer culture festival Glasgay! in October 2009, which should give some more clues about the nature of the show. Sounds very interesting.

It'll be Queer Up North again in 2010

Queer Up North have just confirmed that the 2010 festival will take place from Friday 14th to Monday 31st May 2010.

2010 marks the 18th birthday of Queer Up North, and plans for 18 days of celebration, performance, art and ideas are already underway.

Having enjoyed several events at this year's festival (and the year before) I wish them well with their preparations and look forward to getting my hands on the schedule as soon as it's available so I can go see stuff!

Waiting for Autumn

Much as I don't want to wish the summer away - and as disappointingly drab as much of this summer has been - I can't wait for the autumn, when new theatre schedules will start confirming some new dance tours and performances.

I've got tickets for a couple of things - Chameleon's Kith/Kin, Dorian Gray - and have plans to book for a few of others - ENB's Giselle, the Rambert's Comedy of Change Tour, Company F.Z.'s We Can be Heroes and the Bonachela Dance Company to name a few - but I've not actually seen any dance since July.

That's just not right.

More than a year after renewing my vows to love dance forever will I still go and see everything I can?

Yes, probably.

Orbo Novo - Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

Orbo Novo - or New World - a gorgeous new dance work from Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, choreographed by Belgian Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Would love to see this performed.

Orbo Novo (excerpts) from Caleb Custer on Vimeo.

CEDARLAKECONTEMPORARYBALLET

Ballet: The Secret Lives of Dancers

They were once the toast of society. But modern-day corps de ballet endure punishing working hours, crippling injuries, terrible pay and little job security. Then why do it? The Telegraph's Richard Johnson spent a day with the Royal Ballet’s finest to find out.

Merce Cunningham dies at 90

US choreographer Merce Cunningham, widely recognised for revolutionising modern dance, has died aged 90.

A statement from the Cunningham Dance Foundation said the New York-based dancer 'died peacefully in his home of natural causes' on Sunday.

He formed the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 1953 and choreographed nearly 200 works for it.

Although he used a wheelchair by the end of his career, Cunningham danced on stage right into his 80s.

The statement said he 'revolutionised the visual and performing arts, not for the sake of iconoclasm, but for the beauty and wonder that lay in exploring new possibilities'.

Judith Fishman, chairman of the Cunningham Dance Foundation, said: 'Merce was an artistic maverick and the gentlest of geniuses.

'We have lost a great man and a great artist, but we celebrate his extraordinary life, his art, and the dancers and the artists with whom he worked.'

Just last month, Cunningham had set up a legacy plan for the continuation of his work in the coming years.

Merce Cunningham
Cunningham Dance Foundation
Merce Cunningham, Who Reinvented Dance, Dies at 90
Merce Cunningham: a moving human sculpture in air - The Telegraph
Who will protect the legacies of Pina Bausch and Merce Cunningham? When a great choreographer dies, does their work die with them? Judith Mackrell in the Guardian

Joffrey Ballet and the Rite of Spring

In 1987, the Joffrey Ballet received a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant in Dance of $243,400 to support three self-produced seasons in New York City and Los Angeles, and the reconstruction of Vaslav Nijinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps.

The reconstruction was the culmination of more than 15 years of work by Millicent Hodson, a choreographer and dance historian, and her husband Kenneth Archer, an art historian. Hodson and Archer had painstakingly pieced the ballet together from prompt books, contemporary sketches, paintings, photographs, reviews, the original costume designs, annotated scores, and interviews with eye witnesses, such as Dame Marie Rambert, Nijinsky's assistant. The ballet was performed again in 2002.

It was reading about Diaghilev and Nijinsky, and especially the story of the creation of Le Sacre du Printemps and the artistic storm it created on its debut in 1913 that fired my interest in dance.

If I have any ambitions in dance - and I have many - the most dearly held must be wishing for the chance to see the Joffrey Ballet's reconstruction of this extraordinary work in performance some day.

Roundel - dance news

Henri Oguike Dance Company - Following the company's successul tenth anniversary tour this spring, over the next 18 months HODC will be devoting time to research and development as well as to some prestigious commissions, including one from Rambert Dance Company.

According to the company website, Henri has longed for time to explore new collaborations and to look at areas such as design, sport, fashion and technology, and to working with music in new ways. It will no doubt feed into the new repertoire which will tour in Autumn 2010/Spring 2011.

I loved the company when I saw them earlier this year so look forward to seeing new work - even if I am going to have to wait at least a year!


Stan Won't Dance - Physical theatre company Stan Won't Dance are promising to announce tour dates for Autumn 2009 - although time is ticking.

Earlier this year they were advertising for male performers with a strong grounding in contemporary dance and with experience of working with improvisation and text - which makes it sound very interesting. I've never seen this company and they don't appear to have performed since July 2007 when they mounted at large scale outdoor performance at the Southbank Centre, where they are artists in residence. As they are also identified as artists in residence at The Lowry, hopefully their new show will make an appearance there. As the company was founded by former members of DV8 I'm keen to get an opportunity to see them.

DV8 Physical Theatre - As for the mighty DV8, there seems to be much activity of the cards. The company are still internationally touring the stunning To be Straight With You until December 2009.

Founding choreographer Lloyd Newson is then re-working and re-staging his groundbreaking 1992 work Strange Fish for performance and touring in late 2010 into 2011. This is the first time Newson has chosen to revisit a previous work.

The company will also be researching and developing a brand new work in 2010-11 , again based on interviews as To Be Straight With You was, for performance in 2012.

Phoenix Dance Theatre - Another company I have yet to see, Leeds-based Phonenix Dance Theatre are due to announce some tour dates for Autumn 2009 soon. Hopefully, they'll put in an appearance in Manchester - as most of their Leeds-based fellows (Opera North, Northern Ballet Theatre) seem to make the effort to cross the Pennines.

Dance Consortium - As previously reported, Dance Consortium will be promoting and supporting tours by the following companies in 2010:

Danza Contemporanea de Cuba
Companhia de Danca Deborah Colker
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater

No dates or venues announced yet.

Company Chameleon - Rites

Watch rites in Culture | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Dancers Anthony Missen & Kevin Turner performing Rites - a work in progress.

Anthony and Kevin will be performing Rites and launching their new Manchester-based dance company Chameleon at The Lowry with two performances on 2 August and 30 September. They will also perform another piece Before Night Fell, based on exploring male identity, friendship, bravery and cameraderie.

We Can Be Heroes

Appearing at Contact Theatre in the autumn - We Can Be Heroes by Company F. Z.

A teasing hybrid of aerial circus, performance, film and dance, We Can Be Heroes reaches into the heart and mind of a man who fears his life will never change in a story of commitment, emotional responsibility and psychological danger.

The story is told with movement, film, music, text and aerial. The main material used for the design is wool, used in many forms, from a labyrinth stretched across the stage to a seven metre scarf stretching from the roof to the floor. Along with this is an ingenious use of interactive film, projected around the space on the three metre high screens, which also work as the architecture of the space, flown in and out and used as a climbing frame. The musical score has been developed with The Hat, a four piece from Brighton. It is created through improvisation along with the action in the rehearsal space. This is the latest piece of work developing the process further to create a full narrative and expand on collective years of experience.

We Can Be Heroes
Company F. Z.
Contact Theatre
Thursday 1 October - Saturday 3 October

Stumbling over men dancing

The New Adventures website has published a recent Gaydar Nation interview with Dorian Gray leading man Richard Winsor - good to see the amount of publicity this show is generating in advance of its forthcoming revival.

Again, as with the interview in The Guardian, he makes a comment about the production that seems slightly odd, disappointing even, to me:

The main stumbling-block with this one was we wanted to make two men dancing together natural, fluid, beautiful and passionate, so we had a group of five guys workshopping to see how we could make the choreography look authentic and smooth.

I'm puzzled that Matthew Bourne's leading male dancers are coming out with such comments. As I've mentioned before, there seems to be a clear recent trend for male on male dancing and companies exploring masculinity and male sexuality, and I've seen several companies in the last couple of years that are showing the full range of emotional and physical interaction between men expressed through dance. Heaven knows there is no shortage of gay choreographers either - of whom Matthew Bourne himself is likely the most prominent.

Why Richard Winsor speaks in terms of this being a 'stumbling-block' is slightly mystifying to me - or is the notion really so ground-breaking in more narrative forms of dance?

Dance has always struck me as a remarkably eloquent way of expressing emotion between men - be it love, friendship, tenderness, confrontation or violence - and I've seen plenty of evidence to support that view.

Dorian pair on the power of an all-male duet

Richard Winsor and Jason Piper talk about researching their roles, portraying paranoia and the power of an all-male duet in The Guardian.

Richard Winsor: There's a power struggle when two men are dancing together – a manly energy on stage. It feels more of a strain, dancing with a man rather than a woman, what with the lifting. You learn how to feel each other's weight. Jason and I aren't dissimilar dancers. We're both quite powerful and expressive, so we learn how to fit in with each other.

Jason Piper: I feel Richard pushing me in new directions and I try to do the same. Two men dancing together can pose different questions to a male-female duet. We're a similar size, similar strength. Dancing together, it feels like fighting yourself, mastering yourself. It's primal! In traditional ballet, the audience looks at the male dancer, he looks at the female dancer; the audience's gaze is redirected to the woman. The man is there to frame the female form. The audience doesn't look at us as objects from a sexual point of view. They're looking at us as equals in a partnership.

As a gay man who loves dance I find these observations quite interesting - especially when they're discussing a piece as 'gay' as Dorian Gray. It's almost a kind of 'just because we're two men dancing together we're not poofs' kind of weird homophobia - or am I misreading this?

I love to watch male dancers and I love to watch male dancers dancing together - and whilst it is not a purely sexual thing, I would never deny that there is an erotic charge in men lifting and holding and dancing together, even in pieces that are not remotely sexual in theme. There are a lot of companies right now creating dance work that seeks to explore men and maleness, masculinity, male relationships, male power and male sexuality.

Do straight men see the erotic potential when a male-female pair dance together? How the hell would I know.

But I know who I am and what I like. Men dancing with men is beautiful.

Ideas for new narrative ballets

I am mostly interested in contemporary dance and ballet, which generally avoids linear narrative and any kind of 'traditional' storytelling. But I also go and see, and often greatly enjoy, more (or completely) traditional full-length narrative ballet.

Matthew Bourne's New Adventures is probably the UK's leading company producing new full-length narrative work, although other companies have produced new full-length ballets based on non-traditional ballet stories - Wuthering Heights, Dracula, for example.

Obviously the scale and cost of producing fully-cast full-length narrative ballet with sets, costumes and special effects can be prohibitative and may not suit the structure of many companies, but if Matthew Bourne can make a ballet based on The Servant or Edward Scissorhands, or his latest, The Picture of Dorian Gray, what other stories would be suitably compelling, visually potent and narratively robust enough to be translated from novel, play or film and transformed into the pure movement of ballet or contemporary dance?

Here are a few suggestions...

Interview with a Vampire
American Beauty
Sweeney Todd
Brokeback Mountain - already being developed as an opera
Donnie Darko

Any ideas?

New Lowry Season - Autumn 2009

First details of the new Lowry season are being released.

In addition to the previously mentioned return of the Rambert Dance Company with their Comedy of Change Tour, the first 'proper' show by new Manchester-based dance company Chameleon has been confirmed for 30 September - titled Kith/Kin. The show was to have been previewed this month but was cancelled due to injury befalling one of the dancers.

Rites, a male duet performed/created by Anthony Missen and Kevin Turner is powerful and poignant in its exploration of the events and experiences that shape us as friends, brothers, fathers and sons.

Before Night Fell, choreographed by Beth Cassani uses games and physical risk to cast a female perspective on the duo's friendship.

Stride, a young men’s dance project developed by Chameleon and Dance Initiative Greater Manchester will culminate in a performance in the public areas of the building at 6.30pm.

Rites commissioned by Dance Initiative Greater Manchester.

Manchester audiences will also get a chance to see the Bonachela Dance Company on 3 November 2009 when they bring their show The Land of Yes and The Land of No to The Lowry's Quays Theatre.

As soon as we leave our homes, we are told what to do and more often what not to do. But these instructions are not only physical; they have emotional resonances which go beyond the literal commands.

In his first work for his own company since his appointment as Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela explores this duality and how it affects us. He has collaborated with contemporary composer Ezio Bosso and designer Alan Macdonald to develop the work.

And another date for next year's diaries - Birmingham Royal Ballet make a welcome return with their production of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty 30 March - 3 April 2010.

More news to follow as and when...

Lowry calls Royal Opera House's northen ambitions 'bad for the arts'

The Royal Opera House's plan for a northern base is 'bad for the arts' and must be scrapped, the trustees of The Lowry arts centre have said.

The Royal Opera House said last year it was in talks to establish a presence at Manchester's Palace Theatre.

But the Salford-based Lowry has claimed the proposal would threaten £116m of public money already invested in it.

Instead, it supports a 'dual-house' model, where The Lowry would be a home for dance, including the Royal Ballet.

Opera and music would be concentrated at the new facility at the refurbished Palace Theatre.

In a statement, the Royal Opera House (ROH) said it was still committed to pursuing the proposals.

The call by The Lowry follows talks with the ROH and Manchester City Council about the artistic programme of the new facility.

Research commissioned by The Lowry concluded the plan could not work without destroying the arts centre's business model, thus threatening its £116m investment.

However, The Lowry said it 'remained committed' to the overall vision of bringing the ROH to Manchester.

In a statement, Rod Aldridge, chairman of the The Lowry trustees, said: 'It is clear that the current proposal is not viable and cannot be made to work without causing unacceptable damage to existing arts provision.

At The Lowry, we are proud of the enviable reputation we have established for bringing world-class opera and ballet to the region.

Our research provides clear evidence that that the current proposal presents significant threats to the viability of The Lowry. It would destroy what we have achieved and would put the £116m of public money invested in The Lowry at severe risk.

Mr Aldridge added that the dual-house model still involved 'substantial uncertainties' and required significant further work.

He said: 'The current proposal cannot be made to work. It is bad for Manchester, bad for the arts and bad for the taxpayer. In the interests of the whole region, it must now be abandoned.

The ROH wants a northern home for the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet, in addition to their base in London's Covent Garden.

In March, a report from Arts Council England said it had the potential to transform the artistic life of the north west'.

But it also warned the scheme was 'not yet viable' and would require 'significant' public investment.

The ROH said: 'The Royal Opera House and Manchester City Council believe that there is a very exciting and viable way forward for Royal Opera House Manchester and the arts in the North West as a whole.

'Discussions are ongoing regarding how this might most effectively be achieved, and the more potential partners are brought into the discussions, the more exciting the proposals are becoming.

'To deny the current proposal at this stage without those wider discussions taking place is premature, and the Royal Opera House remains convinced that there will be a solution that will bring great benefit, both artistically and economically, to Manchester and the greater north west region.'

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council said the council was 'disappointed' with The Lowry's remarks.

'I find it difficult to understand, as whilst at a meeting yesterday with The Lowry Trustees where I thought we agreed a way forward, a statement was issued on the contrary,' he said.

'The meeting explored the mutual benefits and options to develop this exceptional opportunity in partnership.

'The potential to transform the artistic life of the north west is widely recognised and although we recognise The Lowry's concerns we will continue to work with them and other major arts bodies to drive forward our ambition for the future.'

BBC

For me, the idea of the Royal Opera House establishing a Northern base is an interesting one, but I don't genuinely believe it is viable.

I completely reject the idea of anything that damages or compromises The Lowry in any way - as a world-class venue for opera and dance, as a centre for artistic excellence, as a business, or as a charity.

Whilst I applaud the notion of 'bringing world-class opera and ballet to the region', I don't see how the Royal Opera House would deliver that in any way other than in their own terms and I'm not wholly convinced that there is a substantial market for such 'elitist' fare. I suspect Manchester has more of an appetite for more innovative, cutting edge, non-traditional art - otherwise these companies and their ilk would visit more often.

Once again, I propose that rather than damage The Lowry and investing millions in dragging the Palace Theatre [right] into the modern age we should look first at the Opera House on Quay Street, the former Theatre Royal on Peter Street - recently mentioned in connection with a new home for the Library Theatre - or better still, we look at completely redeveloping the BBC site on Oxford Road into a new purpose-built Royal Opera House Manchester, incorporating the Dancehouse opposite, creating an additional smaller venue with studios, and merging the existing dance school into a new Royal Ballet School North.

Or simpler still, base the Royal Opera House at The Lowry, which already has the established market, the venues and staging infrastructure, the public spaces and the iconic building to create something really special - but Manchester City Council are never going to accept that...

From an entirely personal perspective as a fan of dance, I would be one hundred per cent more interested in a proposal for a northern base for Sadler's Wells... now that would be something.

Bad Karma Chameleon

New Manchester-based dance duo Company Chameleon were due to preview their new work and launch their new company at the Lowry Studio on Friday and Saturday (19 & 20 June).

Unfortunately both shows were cancelled due to one of the pair sustaining a head injury during the dress rehearsal - I think Anthony Missen, as I saw his dance partner Kevin Turner talking to friends in the Lowry bar shortly before the cancellation of Friday night's performance - I was there to see Verve 09 and had a ticket for Chameleon on the Saturday.

I have seen this talented pair earlier this year at the Contact Theatre and was greatly looking forward to their interesting-sounding programme of dance exploring men and masculinity.

The show was a preview in advance of a full company launch in September so I wish Anthony and Kevin well and hope to see them back with a vengeance then.

Company Chameleon

Rambert's Comedy of Change 2009

The Rambert Dance Company return to the Lowry in September with their Comedy of Change Tour 2009, almost exactly a year after their last visit.

The programme will consist of:

A Linha Curva
The chequer-board stage of Itzik Galili's A Linha Curva is filled with rhythmic pulses and sexual tension, with irresistible samba-inspired lines and curves blended with a Brazilian style and contemporary dance technique. This new version for Rambert by one of Israel's most talented choreographers features a live percussion band and large cast. The original music, composed by Dutch percussion band Percossa, drives the rhythms and electrifies the atmosphere to an incredibly powerful level.

Carnival of the Animals
Set to Saint-Saëns' beautiful and melodic music, Carnival of the Animals is arguably Siobhan Davies' most popular and endearing work. Reinvigorated for the 21st century the work reunites Rambert dancers with this outstanding, Olivier Award-winning artist.

Comedy of Change
Following the national successes of Constant Speed (2005) and Eternal Light (2008), Artistic Director, Mark Baldwin returns to the world of science.

Combining the fascinating and exuberant worlds of evolution and dance, Mark Baldwin creates Comedy of Change, a vigorous and beautiful new work. Courtship dances, display and nature's use of camouflage are all enhanced with music and design by some of the very best contemporary artists.

Comedy of Change is set to a specially commissioned score by renowned British composer Julian Anderson and production design by one of Paris' leading lights of contemporary art, Kader Attia. It skilfully blends dance and science into a stunning, energetic and striking performance

© Eric Richmond and Joe Swift. Background image © Charles Smith, Corbis

The Lowry
23 - 25 September

See website for other dates and venues. Programme varies for other venues.

Comedy of Change Tour 2009 microsite

I must confess to not being that impressed by the Rambert Dance Company last year, the first time I have seen them. I found Eternal Light overblown and empty for the most part (not to mention hideously costumed) although I enjoyed some sections. I also had a mixed response to the other pieces of the programme. But I'm still of the view that I'm much more interested in seeing them again and hoping for a different experience than declaring that 'I don't like the Rambert', and choosing not to go.

I'm still learning and enthusiastic - and hope I always will be. (Although I already have a bad feeling about Carnival of the Animals - please no more animal costumes!)

Finding the gay in Dorian Gray

No one could deny that there is a huge homosexual subtext in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray - so it's good to see that Matthew Bourne's dance version, updated to the modern world of celebrity and media, is milking it for all it's worth.

After the disappointment of Edward Scissorhands, I am really excited about the prospect of seeing this show later in the year. I hope my excitement is justified - and I hope the dancing is up to scratch. I thought Scissorhands was all about the acting and staging and the dancing was oddly missing and little better than touring musical theatre standard (he says dismissively).

It's all very well reinterpreting and popularising full-length narrative ballet for a new audience but let's not let great dancing and choreography get lost in the new mix.

I'm certainly looking forward to seeing Richard Winsor recreate the role of Dorian.

Dance Consortium 2010

Those of us who live outside London and love dance have much to be grateful to Dance Consortium for, and because it is never too soon to get excited about going to see dance companies, Dance Consortium will be promoting and supporting tours by the following companies in 2010:

Danza Contemporanea de Cuba
Companhia de Danca Deborah Colker
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater

NDT 2 at the Lowry

To start off with a negative, I loathe audience participation. Especially if it includes clowns (thanks, Cirque du Soleil).

I'm firmly of the opinion that I'm in the audience for a reason. My fear of getting dragged onto the stage by the dancers of NDT2 during their third and final piece Minus 16 - never let it be said that I don't do my research - was such that I forsook my decent stalls seat (already further back than I would have chosen) and fled to the circle after the second interval. In the end the piece was great fun and the chosen 'lucky' 16 generally made a game effort - especially one lady who unexpectedly found herself with a featured role. Parts of Minus 16 were very witty and exciting and the dancing was certainly impressive, but I still cringed, even as I clapped along. It ended the show on a high of sorts, and with a third, huge ovation, but this 'novelty' number didn't offer the emotional satisfaction of the rest of the programme.

The rest of my review for NDT2 is full of nothing but superlatives. Opening piece Offspring, choreographed by Lukas Tumulak, was quite beautiful. Second piece, Gods and Dogs, choreographed by Jiri Kylian, was quite simply one of the most beautiful and powerful dance pieces I have seen so far by any company.

The young dancers of NDT2 - the company range from 17-23 - were superlative. Technically extraordinary, clearly expert technicians of classical ballet, they took the strength, speed, flexibility and grace of classical dance and transformed it to the highest imaginable levels of contemporary style. Some of the extensions, contortions, lifts and spins seemed almost physically impossible. Such strength, fluidity and speed was beautiful to watch and the choreography was challenging and innovative to match and push the boundaries. Good balance between male and female dancers too - and all incredibly talented.

I have never seen a more beautifully lit dance show, the use of lasers and atmospheric, subtly changing lighting was absolutely lovely - and the costumes, especially for Offspring, were also lovely. I don't think I've ever heard better sound at the Lowry either. NDT2's challenging soundtrack of classical music interspersed with other sounds and electronics was varied, exciting and wonderfully mixed - and loud and crystal clear.

I'd heard good things about NDT and NDT2 from other people, but now I've seen them myself I can only add my view that the Netherlands Dance Theater are at the very highest end of the contemporary dance spectrum.

I've not enjoyed a company of this type so much since Stephen Petronio - although I still love New English Contemporary Ballet - who have the potential to be as good, I think.

One of those transforming nights when you see things that make you want to keep seeing more and more dance... and not miss anything. God, I love dance.

Insane in the Brain Bounces to the Lowry this autumn

With street dance very much in the news with two street dance groups in the final of Britain's Got Talent - one of whom, Diversity, of course went on to win, a street dance version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has just been announced to appear the Lowry this autumn. Dance Touring Partnership present Swedish company Bounce.

The classic story of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is injected with a large dose of Hip Hop energy by Bounce. This exciting company is known for creating high energy, imaginative street-dance theatre, enjoying hit runs at both Sadler’s Wells and the Roundhouse.

In the confines of a psychiatric hospital, breakdance becomes a way of expressing freedom and rebelling against the iron rule of Nurse Ratched, who happens to be a ballet fan.

Based on the play by Dale Wasserman and the novel by Ken Kesey, the show features a fantastic soundtrack including hits from Missy Elliot, Dizzie Rascal, Gotan Project, David Holmes and Cypress Hill. Inventive set design, bungee-jumping breakdancers, film and choreography combine to produce a fast-paced show that is at times funny, at times moving, and always packed to the rafters with high-octane dance moves.

The Lowry
Saturday 21 November 2009

Companies I really want to see 2 - Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui - Orbo Novo process from Caleb Custer on Vimeo.

Cedar Lake are my favourite dance company I've never seen - every bit of footage of them seems quite extraordinary and I long for the chance to see them. Maybe one day.

Talking Shop: Matthew Bourne

Matthew Bourne talks to the BBC about his production of Dorian Gray

Motionhouse Scattered at the Lowry in 2010

It's good to plan ahead - and I love to know what to look forward to - even if the performance is not scheduled until Spring 2010!

Anyway, I can reveal (because it's on their website) that (very) physical theatre company Motionhouse will be bringing their new touring show Scattered to the Lowry in Spring 2010. From the write up and venue specifications I'm guessing that they will appear in the Lyric Theatre - the largest of the Lowry's three performance spaces.

Scattered combines Motionhouse's trademark highly physical dance theatre and mesmerizing aerial imagery with film and graphics, to create a unique visual performance event. Performed on a huge curved floor, which disappears skywards upstage, Scattered uses multiple projection technology to create a world in which the dancers move in, on and through the image. Scattered delves into the beauty and absurdity of water in different elements. Seven dancers dive into a moving stream, wrestle a raging tide and slide on an avalanche to a frozen landscape of arctic beauty.


Scattered explores our relationship with water and how it surrounds us in different forms throughout our lives: in birth water ties us to life and on a more elemental scale, in ice, floods and tides, it can wash our lives away.

I'm excited already.

The Lowry
9 - 10 February 2010

Motionhouse - Scattered

An Evening of Contemporary Dance at the greenroom

Most of the theatres in the area are coming to the end of their current seasons and about to enter what always seems like a lull before they announce their new seasons - although there is still much to see - NDT2, Northern Ballet Theatre's Romeo and Juliet, New English Contemporary Ballet, Nigel Charnock, the return of Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Rain Parade, Verve 09, Carlos Acosta's MIF appearance and more from now until July.

There's even a few things announced for later in the year - English National Ballet's Giselle at the Palace in September, the much-anticipated Dorian Gray at the Lowry in October.

Anyway, another event has slipped unnoticed onto the greenroom [pictured] schedule.

Billed slightly oddly as An Evening of Contemporary Dance, Peter Grist&Company make their debut at the greenroom with four brand new pieces Megiddo, Alice, Roots and Picking on Me.

All four pieces look to be either duets or solos but it looks like an interesting programme.

Friday, 26 June 2009
greenroom

These pieces are all choreographed by Peter Grist and music is conceived and mixed by Jake Shaw.

I believe Peter Grist is a graduate of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.

Support NECB in Manchester

New English Contemporary Ballet make a return visit to Manchester's Dancehouse theatre on Friday, 5 June following their June 2008 visit.

I was lucky enough to see NECB last year and I've booked to see them again as I thought they were excellent - exactly the type of contemporary dance I enjoy: thoroughly modern in style but with skills and technique firmly rooted in classical dance.

Now I may be being unduly pessimistic, but when I saw them in June at the Dancehouse the theatre was less than half full. I've been to see another dance performance at the Dancehouse this year that was even less well attended. I go and see a lot of dance in Manchester, mostly at the Lowry, but increasingly this year at the Contact theatre, and performances tend to be fairly to very well attended.

I think the Dancehouse does well with comedy shows and they seem to book some fairly big comedy names but (ironically) I suspect the Dancehouse is a bit of a disaster when it comes to dance. They seem to book the kind of small to medium touring companies that would suit the venue only sporadically. Their marketing is minimal and much of the public space is rather shabby, dull and neglected looking. I suspect this is down to funding as much as anything. The auditorium itself is pleasant and rather pretty with a large, low stage and steeply-tiered seating affording all seats a good view.

The other issue with the Dancehouse (for me, anyway) is the fact they outsource their ticket sales to Ticketline, which in itself is not a problem. I think Ticketline are a great company, but the fact is their comission charges and booking fees and convenience fees really bump up the cost of modestly-priced dance shows. With NECB, for example, Ticketline turn a £12 ticket into a £15.45 ticket (you can save 20p by collecting yourself from the venue), and the seating selection is completely inflexible. This compares very poorly with the Contact and greenroom's minimal or non-existent fees and unreserved seating and the Lowry's low booking fee and seat choice flexibility.

So, what am I saying? Two things: the Dancehouse is a wasted opportunity in Manchester - great location, a nice period venue with lots of potential, but completely lacking in any kind of buzz or excitement or visitor appeal - compare with the greenroom. I find this especially sad as every single national and international company puts in an appearance at Sadler's Wells and its supporting venues in London, whereas Manchester gets a lot but misses a whole lot more

- and secondly:

Don't be put off by the Dancehouse - New English Contemporary Ballet are fantastic and completely worth seeing - so support this great English company and enjoy their wonderful programme.