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	<title>dance &#8211; Quays Life</title>
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	<item>
		<title>Matthew Bourne&#8217;s The Car Man: Review</title>
		<link>https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-the-car-man-review/</link>
					<comments>https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-the-car-man-review/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Carmel Thomason]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:28:46 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Theatre]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ballet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lowry Theatre]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Musical Theatre]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://quayslife.com/?p=16161</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It is doubtful that Matthew Bourne’s ‘The Car Man’ could have arrived at Lowry on a better week. For while you might get some respite from the current heat wave in the theatre’s air-conditioned auditorium, things are about to get much hotter on stage. And stepping from the stifling weather outside only intensifies the atmosphere [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-the-car-man-review/">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s The Car Man: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It is doubtful that Matthew Bourne’s ‘The Car Man’ could have arrived at Lowry on a better week. For while you might get some respite from the current heat wave in the theatre’s air-conditioned auditorium, things are about to get much hotter on stage. And stepping from the stifling weather outside only intensifies the atmosphere of this steamy dance thriller.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Fasten your seat belts because you’re in for a ride, with no let-up in this roller coaster of a two-hour show.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It opens on a scene reminiscent of ‘Grease’ – a stage full of muscly young men working on cars and girls in swinging circle skirts working the nearby bar. The familiarity of Bizet’s Carmen score, with additional orchestration by Terry Davies, immediately draws us into the life of small-town Harmony. Its vibrancy is matched by the energy of Bourne’s choreography. Everywhere you look there are pairs of dancers, each telling their own story of playful youth, seduction and lust. When in the first five minutes dancers strip off and head for a cold shower Bourne sends the audience a tongue-in-cheek knowing that this show too darn hot for its own good.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340885615_dfc8fb704f_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:800}" ><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340885615_dfc8fb704f_k-1024x683.jpg" alt="Matthew Bourne's THE CAR MAN. The Company. Photo by Johan Persson" class="wp-image-16160" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340885615_dfc8fb704f_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340885615_dfc8fb704f_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340885615_dfc8fb704f_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340885615_dfc8fb704f_k-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340885615_dfc8fb704f_k-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340885615_dfc8fb704f_k-820x547.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340885615_dfc8fb704f_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s THE CAR MAN. The Company. Photo by Johan Persson</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As you’ve probably guessed, this isn’t the Carmen opera in a dance form. Rather Bourne has taken the essence of the tale along with the music to create something new, but equally thrilling. Bourne’s new story takes the desire and violence of the original and layers it with the noir fatalism of James M. Cain&#8217;s novel ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’, giving the piece a sticky inevitability.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Here the handsome drifter is Luca, an imposing and mysterious Will Bozier. He crackles with sexual energy attracting both men and women and destroying any chance Harmony had of living up to its name.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">His first conquest is the beautiful and feisty Lana (Cordelia Braithwaite), a name that nods to Lana Turner who played Cora in the 1946 film version of Cain&#8217;s thriller.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340619798_187213f5b2_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:800}" ><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340619798_187213f5b2_k-1024x683.jpg" alt="Matthew Bourne's THE CAR MAN. Jamie Duncan Campbell (Vito) and Company. Photo by Johan Persson" class="wp-image-16157" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340619798_187213f5b2_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340619798_187213f5b2_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340619798_187213f5b2_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340619798_187213f5b2_k-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340619798_187213f5b2_k-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340619798_187213f5b2_k-820x547.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340619798_187213f5b2_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s THE CAR MAN. Jamie Duncan Campbell (Vito) and Company. Photo by Johan Persson</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Alan Vincent, who played Luca in the 2000 premiere returns now as garage owner and Lana’s abusive husband, Dino. He is a giant of a man and yet Bozier lifts him as if he weighs no more than a child.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The acting as well as the dancing from this cast is phenomenal as they draw us into their dark and complex world. Leonardo McCorkindale captures this to heartbreaking effect as young Angelo who is also captivated and seduced by this enigmatic stranger.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340683934_9ce1f2edc9_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:800}" ><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340683934_9ce1f2edc9_k-1024x683.jpg" alt="Matthew Bourne's THE CAR MAN. Leonardo McCorkindale (Angelo) and Company. Photo by Johan Persson" class="wp-image-16158" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340683934_9ce1f2edc9_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340683934_9ce1f2edc9_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340683934_9ce1f2edc9_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340683934_9ce1f2edc9_k-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340683934_9ce1f2edc9_k-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340683934_9ce1f2edc9_k-820x547.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/06/55340683934_9ce1f2edc9_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s THE CAR MAN. Leonardo McCorkindale (Angelo) and Company. Photo by Johan Persson</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Betrayal and jealousy fire the story forward to its tragic end. It’s a scorcher of a show made for these hot summer nights.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://www.thelowry.com/whats-on/matthew-bournes-the-car-man-qdxt">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s The Car Man is at Lowry. Salford from 23-27 June 2026.</a></strong> <strong>Age recommendation 12+</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://quayslife.com/people/matthew-bourne-on-the-car-man-and-ballets-bisexual-first/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read our interiew with Matthew Bourne</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-the-car-man-review/">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s The Car Man: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>Motionhouse Hidden: Review</title>
		<link>https://quayslife.com/reviews/motionhouse-hidden-review/</link>
					<comments>https://quayslife.com/reviews/motionhouse-hidden-review/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Carmel Thomason]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:57:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Circus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dance Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lowry Theatre]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Motionhouse]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://quayslife.com/?p=15612</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>When Motionhouse’s co-founder and artistic director, Kevin Finnan says Hidden is the company’s most ambitious production to date, we know to expect something spectacular. Motionhouse is known for bringing its unique fusion of dance and circus to large-scale, bespoke entertainment. You might have seen them perform at festivals or at major events such as the [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/motionhouse-hidden-review/">Motionhouse Hidden: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">When Motionhouse’s co-founder and artistic director, <a href="https://quayslife.com/todoandsee/dance-circus-company-motionhouse-explores-shared-humanity-in-new-show-hidden/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kevin Finnan</a> says Hidden is the company’s most ambitious production to date, we know to expect something spectacular.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Motionhouse is known for bringing its unique fusion of dance and circus to large-scale, bespoke entertainment. You might have seen them perform at festivals or at major events such as the opening show of Birmingham 2022 Festival or the National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome event in Liverpool.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This new show, created for an indoor theatre space, has the same big-event feel, placing their performers in a space which combines multiple moving objects, fast-paced film projection and an absorbing soundscape.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/55041621717_19cae3c8b3_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:787}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="672" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/55041621717_19cae3c8b3_k-1024x672.jpg" alt="Hidden by Motionhouse. Image Dan Tucker" class="wp-image-15614" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/55041621717_19cae3c8b3_k-1024x672.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/55041621717_19cae3c8b3_k-300x197.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/55041621717_19cae3c8b3_k-768x504.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/55041621717_19cae3c8b3_k-716x470.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/55041621717_19cae3c8b3_k-820x538.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/55041621717_19cae3c8b3_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hidden by Motionhouse. Image Dan Tucker</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The show, created by Finnan together with the company’s associate director Daniel Massarella and the dancers, is an artistic and physical response to society’s increasing polarisation and the crises populations face globally from natural disasters like wildfires and floods.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As Finnan explains in the programme notes: ‘The best of humanity is when we put the needs of others before our own’ and this forms the narrative arc for the show as the dancers follow a path from isolated darkness, eventually working together towards the light.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Act One ‘Decent into Darkness’ opens onto a frenetic, fast-moving world where dancers move around a blur of faces among London streets, transport, buildings and rooftops.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Simon Dormon’s fluid set sees the city projected onto a main backdrop and two 3D triangular wedge shapes which the dancers move and weave between taking us from a gamer’s bedroom to a city park to the rush of the Underground. The result feels like watching a series of video shorts, almost like dance for a Tik Tok generation.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-5.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:831}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="709" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-5.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-1024x709.jpg" alt="Hidden by Motionhouse. Image by Dan Tucker" class="wp-image-15602" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-5.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-1024x709.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-5.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-300x208.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-5.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-768x532.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-5.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-716x496.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-5.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-820x568.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-5.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hidden by Motionhouse. Image by Dan Tucker</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There is so much to see that it is hard to believe they are creating this with only 7 dancers, who are such a phenomenal ensemble that they all deserve mention – Olly Bell, Llewelyn Brown, Dylan Davies, Alex Macnab, Blair Moore, Sophie O’Leary and Beth Pattison.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The circus skills come to the fore as the set moves to a series of geometric shapes, where two dancers battle to free themselves from a prison of plastic wrapping. This aspect feels unlike anything I’ve seen before.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-2.-Image-Dan-Tucker_high-res.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:800}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-2.-Image-Dan-Tucker_high-res-1024x683.jpg" alt="Hidden by Motionhouse. Image by Dan Tucker" class="wp-image-15599" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-2.-Image-Dan-Tucker_high-res-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-2.-Image-Dan-Tucker_high-res-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-2.-Image-Dan-Tucker_high-res-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-2.-Image-Dan-Tucker_high-res-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-2.-Image-Dan-Tucker_high-res-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-2.-Image-Dan-Tucker_high-res-820x547.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-2.-Image-Dan-Tucker_high-res.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hidden by Motionhouse. Image by Dan Tucker</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Act Two ‘Finding the Light’ follows a clearer narrative. There is a much calmer feel to it, although the dancing and circus skills on display are no less impressive. Here the two triangles are transformed into a 4m high, 45-degree ramp which becomes a metaphor for the heights dancers need to scale to reach the light. They can only do this together in what becomes an emotionally moving scene of strength and trust.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-4.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:957,&quot;h&quot;:1200}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="817" height="1024" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-4.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-817x1024.jpg" alt="Hidden by Motionhouse. Image by Dan Tucker" class="wp-image-15601" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-4.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-817x1024.jpg 817w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-4.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-239x300.jpg 239w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-4.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-768x963.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-4.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-716x898.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-4.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res-820x1028.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2026/01/Hidden-by-Motionhouse-4.-Image-Dan-Tucker_low-res.jpg 957w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 817px) 100vw, 817px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hidden by Motionhouse. Image by Dan Tucker</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">We are left with a feeling of amazement at how these young dancers trust that they will be caught when they fall; trust the strength of the dancer on whose shoulders they stand, and trust as they form a human ladder that those who scale it are not going to lean on a part of their body to cause pain. It is an incredible spectacle of community, support and courage that leaves us with a feeling of hope in humanity. In what feels like an increasingly divided world Motionhouse has given us something wonderful.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://thelowry.com/whats-on/motionhouse-hidden-x7k6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Motionhouse Hidden was at Lowry, Salford</a> on 30 January 2026 before <a href="https://www.motionhouse.co.uk/production/hidden/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">continuing on tour.</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/motionhouse-hidden-review/">Motionhouse Hidden: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>Matthew Bourne&#8217;s The Red Shoes: Review</title>
		<link>https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-the-red-shoes-review/</link>
					<comments>https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-the-red-shoes-review/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Carmel Thomason]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 16:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Lowry Theatre]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://quayslife.com/?p=15204</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>This year sees Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Red Shoes. Yet, for many fans of the company this will be the first opportunity they’ve had to see this double Olivier award-winning dance show. When Bourne first announced The Red Shoes, tickets sold-out before its premiere season opened, such was the [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-the-red-shoes-review/">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s The Red Shoes: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This year sees Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Red Shoes. Yet, for many fans of the company this will be the first opportunity they’ve had to see this double Olivier award-winning dance show.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">When Bourne first announced The Red Shoes, tickets sold-out before its premiere season opened, such was the anticipation for this new work. The show toured again in 2019, but the run was sadly cut short by the 2020 Covid lockdowns. So, this tour feels landmark not just for its decade-long anniversary, but also for the excitement of seeing the production as if for the first time with Ashley Shaw, Dominic North, and Andy Monaghan reprising the principal roles they originated in 2016.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-scaled.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1920,&quot;h&quot;:1280}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1024x683.jpg" alt="Matthew Bourne's production of THE RED SHOES. Ashley Shaw as Victoria Page and Company. Photo by Johan Persson" class="wp-image-15269" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-820x547.jpg 820w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s production of THE RED SHOES. Ashley Shaw as Victoria Page and Company. Photo by Johan Persson</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Those unfamiliar with the ballet will likely have some recollection of the story from the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale and Academy award-winning 1948 film starring Moira Shearer. Both versions won legions of fans and Bourne more than nods to this legacy in the cinematic scale of Lez Brotherston’s design, the telling of the fairy tale as a ballet within the ballet, and the nostalgic, post-war setting.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">From the opening scene there is a sense of immersion into another world with a proscenium arch drawing us into a silent-movie theatre screen. The arch later revolves to switch the action seamlessly from onstage to backstage, home to theatre. While the ever-surprising set takes us on a journey through a range of other locations from real-world Monte Carlo and Covent Garden to more dream-like black and white sequences reminiscent of Wizard of Oz.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-scaled.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1920,&quot;h&quot;:1280}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="Matthew Bourne's production of THE RED SHOES. Ashley Shaw as Victoria Page and Company. Photo by Johan Persson" class="wp-image-15268" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-SHOES.-Ashley-Shaw-Victoria-Page-and-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-820x547.jpg 820w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s production of THE RED SHOES. Ashley Shaw as Victoria Page and Company. Photo by Johan Persson </figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In terms of following a story, the main thread is a simple one &#8211; dancer with Ballet Lermontov, Victoria Page (Ashley Shaw) is given red ballet shoes from its impresario Boris Lermontov (Andy Monaghan) who urges her to forgo everything in pursuit of becoming the greatest dancer in the world. Meanwhile her heart is torn when she falls for composer, Julian Craster (Dominic North). The shoes have a life of their own creating an obsessive pull between art and life that eventually dance her to her death. Sound melodramatic? It is. And made all the more so by Terry Davies dramatic score featuring early music of Hollywood composer, Bernard Herrmann, best known for his work on Hitchcock films.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-Shoes.-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-scaled.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1920,&quot;h&quot;:1280}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-Shoes.-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="Matthew Bourne's production of THE RED Shoes. Company. Photo by Johan Persson" class="wp-image-15273" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-Shoes.-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-Shoes.-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-Shoes.-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-Shoes.-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-Shoes.-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-Shoes.-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-Shoes.-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2025/11/Matthew-Bournes-production-of-THE-RED-Shoes.-Company.-Photo-by-Johan-Persson-1-820x547.jpg 820w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s production of THE RED Shoes. Company. Photo by Johan Persson</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Fans of the film and children’s tale will no doubt be mesmerised by the story all over again, because Bourne has taken all the best bits and injected what the other art forms couldn’t – the real passion of live dance. And what a celebration of dance it is, with so many different styles on show from traditional en-pointe ballet to athletic contemporary split leaps; ballroom to a comical Egyptian walk.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In the programme notes Bourne describes The Red Shoes as ‘A personal love letter to a life spent in theatre and dance’ and that is exactly how it feels to watch. Open your heart and be swept away.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Matthew Bourne&#039;s The Red Shoes | Lowry" width="716" height="403" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pzQjbI5Gl-Q?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong><a href="https://thelowry.com/whats-on/the-red-shoes-1wzr" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s New Adventures The Red Shoes is at Lowry, Salford from 25 to 29 November 2025. </a>Age Guidance 7+</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://thelowry.com/whats-on/matthew-bournes-the-car-man-qdxt" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Adventures returns to Lowry in June 2026 with The Car Man.</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://quayslife.com/people/sir-matthew-bourne-on-the-challenges-of-bringing-the-red-shoes-to-the-stage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read our interview with Matthew Bourne.</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-the-red-shoes-review/">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s The Red Shoes: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
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		<title>Qudus Onikeku on capturing the young energy of Lagos</title>
		<link>https://quayslife.com/people/qudus-onikeku-on-capturing-the-young-energy-of-lagos/</link>
					<comments>https://quayslife.com/people/qudus-onikeku-on-capturing-the-young-energy-of-lagos/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Diane Parkes]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Sep 2024 05:56:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Choreographer interview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://quayslife.com/?p=13842</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Nigerian dancer and choreographer Qudus Onikeku tells Diane Parkes how his new show Re:INCARNATION brings the vibe of his home city of Lagos to Salford The Nigerian megalopolis of Lagos is massive, youthful and exciting. Due to become the world’s biggest city by the turn of the century, it is one of the beating hearts [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/people/qudus-onikeku-on-capturing-the-young-energy-of-lagos/">Qudus Onikeku on capturing the young energy of Lagos</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Nigerian dancer and choreographer Qudus Onikeku tells Diane Parkes how his new show Re:INCARNATION brings the vibe of his home city of Lagos to Salford</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Nigerian megalopolis of Lagos is massive, youthful and exciting. Due to become the world’s biggest city by the turn of the century, it is one of the beating hearts of Africa. And this autumn the spirit of Lagos comes to UK stages in a dance show by Nigeria-based The QDance Company.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Created by Lagos-born dancer and choreographer Qudus Onikeku, Re:INCARNATION is inspired by the city, its people, its past and its present.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53906797707_c1f92c0cf8_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:900}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53906797707_c1f92c0cf8_k-1024x768.jpg" alt="Qudus Onikeku. Photo by Hajarat Alli" class="wp-image-13846" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53906797707_c1f92c0cf8_k-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53906797707_c1f92c0cf8_k-300x225.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53906797707_c1f92c0cf8_k-768x576.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53906797707_c1f92c0cf8_k-716x537.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53906797707_c1f92c0cf8_k-820x615.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53906797707_c1f92c0cf8_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Qudus Onikeku. Photo by Hajarat Alli</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Following its UK premiere at London’s Southbank Centre, the production comes to The Lowry, Salford on 8 &amp; 9 October. Featuring ten dancers and two musicians, it promises to be a rich exploration of one of the world’s most fascinating cultures.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Lagos is very much captured in the show,” says Qudus, whose work has been showcased across the globe. “The energy of Lagos, the vibrancy, the youthfulness, the craziness, the madness, the beauty, the ugliness – are what I was really inspired by.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“This is a show that was created in Lagos, and it is showcasing the young energy encapsulated in the city with a lot of joy and a lot of colour.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Re:INCARNATION combines a live soundtrack featuring West African music genre Afrobeats with dynamic dancing &#8211; contemporary, salsa, hip hop and street styles wacking and krump. Vivid masks and costumes and colour-soaked lighting complete the picture. For Qudus, all the elements are fundamental to creating a successful spectacle.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I try as much as I can to involve the artists, whether it’s the costumier, the lighting designer, the sound artist, the dancers or the scenographer, in a collective creative process where we also highlight the authenticity and originality of each individual,” he says.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937578_1ca6a1d5d1_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:800}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937578_1ca6a1d5d1_k-1024x683.jpg" alt="The QDance Company ReINCARNATION©herve veronese" class="wp-image-13847" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937578_1ca6a1d5d1_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937578_1ca6a1d5d1_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937578_1ca6a1d5d1_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937578_1ca6a1d5d1_k-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937578_1ca6a1d5d1_k-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937578_1ca6a1d5d1_k-820x547.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937578_1ca6a1d5d1_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The QDance Company ReINCARNATION©herve veronese</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In Re:INCARNATION Qudus is exploring how young people fuse life today with influences from the past.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">He is connecting that spirit of youth with the ancient philosophy of the Yoruba people, who have lived in Nigeria for centuries.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“The notion of dying and rebirth, and dying and rebirth again, in a continuous circle of reincarnation, is more or less what I wanted to capture in the show. The young dancers, despite their seeming disconnection with ancient philosophies, are in fact reproducing the codes and forms of the past without being conscious of it.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“The Yoruba don’t believe in life after death, they believe in different cycles of life, different types of incarnations. An experience doesn’t need to be in one lifetime, it could be in cycles of lifetimes. We try to remember that when we do a performance.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Qudus trained in France but returned to Lagos in 2014, establishing the social enterprise The QDance Center and building a reputation for new and exciting work. Re:INCARNATION was premiered in France in 2021 and has toured extensively since then.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“One amazing thing about this show is that whether we are in Europe or America or Africa, people connect to it in a very interesting way,” he says. “Maybe that’s because it was created after Covid and Black Lives Matter and there was a certain kind of openness and an awareness of alternative philosophies or ideologies.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Also Instagram and TikTok have done a good job in popularising dance and music forms coming from West Africa so it feels like we are adding into a tradition that is already ahead of us.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937643_65df8a2d8f_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:800}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937643_65df8a2d8f_k-1024x683.jpg" alt="The QDance Company ReINCARNATION©herve veronese" class="wp-image-13848" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937643_65df8a2d8f_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937643_65df8a2d8f_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937643_65df8a2d8f_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937643_65df8a2d8f_k-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937643_65df8a2d8f_k-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937643_65df8a2d8f_k-820x547.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/09/53907937643_65df8a2d8f_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The QDance Company ReINCARNATION©herve veronese</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Qudus is looking forward to the show’s tour to nine UK cities which is presented by Dance Consortium, a group of 19 large-scale venues with a shared passion for bringing the best global contemporary dance to Britain and Ireland.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“We are very excited about Re:INCARNATION coming to the UK,” he says. “It is a country that has a long history with Nigeria and Nigerian culture. So this work becomes an addition to that palette, or archive, of Nigerian artists and artforms which have been able to make a significant presence in the UK.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I’m talking about the likes of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Fela Kuti, Ben Okri, Chris Ofili. These are people that I consider to be like kin. To be in the spaces where they have been seen and heard is really an honour for me.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Qudus first toured the UK as a solo performer in 2012 returning in 2015, and the country holds a special place for another reason – shopping!</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“The UK always feels like home. I never knew how many similarities there were between Lagos and London before I went to London. I love the shopping, I love going to the pound stores &#8211; I always find something interesting there!</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Also I’ve always read my books in English, so every time I’ve had the opportunity to go to the UK, I go to book stores a lot. I love the Caribbean music – I have been there for the Notting Hill Carnival.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And he is eager to share Re:INCARNATION with British audiences.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“It’s a show that is quite multi-faceted but one thing that I know people have always got out of it is this vibrancy, this young energy that we are bringing. It’s a shared moment of beauty and vivacity and I hope that we can add joy to our world.”<br></p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Qudus Onikeku’s Re:INCARNATION Trailer | The Lowry" width="716" height="403" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mcvD8qebWKo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Trailer</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://thelowry.com/whats-on/qudus-onikekusreincarnation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The QDance Company’s Re:INCARNATION is at The Lowry, Salford on Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 October 2024.</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/people/qudus-onikeku-on-capturing-the-young-energy-of-lagos/">Qudus Onikeku on capturing the young energy of Lagos</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
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		<title>Rambert Dance Death Trap: Review</title>
		<link>https://quayslife.com/reviews/rambert-dance-death-trap-review/</link>
					<comments>https://quayslife.com/reviews/rambert-dance-death-trap-review/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Carmel Thomason]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 15:56:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rambert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Lowry Theatre]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://quayslife.com/?p=13350</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The 2020s is blazing a trend for all things meta. So, it’s not surprising to find Rambert leading the charge for dance by staging a meta dance comedy. But what on earth does it mean? Death Trap is a new double-bill from Ben Duke, which links two of his previous pieces for Rambert – Cerberus [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/rambert-dance-death-trap-review/">Rambert Dance Death Trap: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The 2020s is blazing a trend for all things meta. So, it’s not surprising to find Rambert leading the charge for dance by staging a meta dance comedy. But what on earth does it mean?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Death Trap is a new double-bill from Ben Duke, which links two of his previous pieces for Rambert – <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/rambert-dance-review/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cerberus (2022)</a> and his Olivier nominated, Goat (2017). For those who have seen the pieces before, here they remain distinct either side of an interval, but the first piece ends without a curtain call for the dancers and on their return, there is some fluidity in characterisation and, in keeping with the meta theme, there is self-referencing between the two.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Duke is known for creating work that explores the overlaps between dance and theatre, and this programme feels more a work of combined arts than dance. In some ways this makes it a perfect entry point for people unfamiliar with contemporary dance. There is no need to be concerned you won’t know what it is about because this is made clear through dialogue and there is lots of it. For dance purists this could feel a little irritating, but the layers upon layers of referencing will likely give everyone something to chuckle at, even if that something is themselves.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The evening opens with Cerberus, loosely based on the Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice. Here the mix of real and unreal is used to create a sense of the confusion and disbelief that often accompanies grief. Aishwarya Raut (all characters use dancers&#8217; real names) introduces the concept from a mic off stage. Her entrance at stage right signifies her birth and exiting stage left she dies – or does she?</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53661543687_3df7ed7745_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:800}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53661543687_3df7ed7745_k-1024x683.jpg" alt="Rambert dancers in Ben Duke's Cerberus photo by Camilla Greenwell" class="wp-image-13348" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53661543687_3df7ed7745_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53661543687_3df7ed7745_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53661543687_3df7ed7745_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53661543687_3df7ed7745_k-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53661543687_3df7ed7745_k-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53661543687_3df7ed7745_k-820x547.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53661543687_3df7ed7745_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rambert dancers in Ben Duke&#8217;s Cerberus photo by Camilla Greenwell</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There is a slapstick comedy element to Antonello Sangiradi’s attempts both to bring back his friend and to stop other dancers experiencing the same fate, but the grief in this mythical tale is so deep-seated there were no audible laughs from the audience on Thursday evening. That said, the light-hearted take on an ancient tale stops the early evening from falling hard into melancholy and the dancers, fuelled by the thumping energy of Romarna Campbell on drums, don&#8217;t let us lose sight of life by turning this funeral cortège into a gothic club scene.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">After the interval we are all relieved to find Aishwarya is indeed still alive and has now taken the role of a roving TV reporter who insists on getting verbal explanations from each of the dancers about what their movements mean. The audience warms much more to the comedy in this piece with some genuine laugh out loud moments as well as spontaneous whoops and applause, particularly after the exhilarating choreography to Ain’t Got No, I Got Life.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Goat is inspired by the music and spirit of Nina Simone performed on stage by a three-piece band with singer, Sheree DuBois. While this gives a sense of something older, Death Trap as a whole is very much a tale for today and one aimed more at a Gen Z audience.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53662634288_f8329a4a6e_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:800}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53662634288_f8329a4a6e_k-1024x683.jpg" alt="Rambert dancers Joseph Kudra Archie White Simone Damberg Würtz and Conor Kerrigan in Ben Duke's Death Trap (Cerberus) photography by Camilla Greenwell" class="wp-image-13346" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53662634288_f8329a4a6e_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53662634288_f8329a4a6e_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53662634288_f8329a4a6e_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53662634288_f8329a4a6e_k-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53662634288_f8329a4a6e_k-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53662634288_f8329a4a6e_k-820x547.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/04/53662634288_f8329a4a6e_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rambert dancers Joseph Kudra Archie White Simone Damberg Würtz and Conor Kerrigan in Ben Duke&#8217;s Death Trap (Cerberus) photography by Camilla Greenwell</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The overall narrative of Goat is a dark one, focused on a bizarre ritual where one dancer, Jonathan Wade, is chosen to be sacrificed by dancing himself to death. It is all played out on TV with on stage camera zoomed into the dancers’ faces and played back on a screen at the front of the stage. At times there is so much going on with the cameras, the band, the singer, and the acting, that it is not surprising the dance loses focus. But when given centre stage the dance is both intense and mesmerising.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Overall, I enjoyed my first step into self-conscious, meta dance comedy, but I know if I was 20 again, I would have loved it. This was clear in the audience response too. It is a rollercoaster of melodrama, so strap in tight for an emotional ride through the hormone-fuelled passions and fears of youth.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Rambert Dance | Death Trap | The Lowry" width="716" height="403" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rVf0DVwehZQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Rambert Dance Death Trap is at <a href="https://thelowry.com/whats-on/rambert-dance-death-trap/">The Lowry</a> from 18 &#8211; 20 April 2024.</strong> <strong>As a partner company of The Lowry, Rambert will return again to The Lowry in the Autumn as they bring back Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby from 22 to 26 October 2024.</strong></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/rambert-dance-death-trap-review/">Rambert Dance Death Trap: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
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		<title>BRB The Sleeping Beauty: Dance Review</title>
		<link>https://quayslife.com/reviews/brb-the-sleeping-beauty-dance-review/</link>
					<comments>https://quayslife.com/reviews/brb-the-sleeping-beauty-dance-review/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Carmel Thomason]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:51:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birmingham Royal Ballet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BRB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dance Review]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://quayslife.com/?p=13246</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>This year marks the 40th anniversary of Sir Peter Wright’s iconic production of The Sleeping Beauty for Birmingham Royal Ballet. Under the direction of Carlos Acosta this sumptuous production is revived to its full extravagance and splendour, living up to its name by being both dreamy and beautiful. Of course, the origins of this much-loved [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/brb-the-sleeping-beauty-dance-review/">BRB The Sleeping Beauty: Dance Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This year marks the 40th anniversary of Sir Peter Wright’s iconic production of The Sleeping Beauty for Birmingham Royal Ballet. Under the direction of Carlos Acosta this sumptuous production is revived to its full extravagance and splendour, living up to its name by being both dreamy and beautiful.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Of course, the origins of this much-loved ballet are older still, having premiered at Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg in 1890 with choreography by Marius Petipa. It has stood the test of time because of its ability to enchant both those experiencing their first ballet and ballet enthusiasts alike. And, even if you’ve only heard the music ‘<a href="https://youtu.be/TXbHShUnwxY?feature=shared" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Once upon a Dream</a>’ thanks to Disney, you will instantly recognise Tchiakovsky’s uplifting, romantic score, here played live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Paul Murphy.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524835445_a71cbad159_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:810}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="691" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524835445_a71cbad159_k-1024x691.jpg" alt="Momoko Hirata as Princess Aurora, credit Tristram Kenton" class="wp-image-13249" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524835445_a71cbad159_k-1024x691.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524835445_a71cbad159_k-300x203.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524835445_a71cbad159_k-768x518.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524835445_a71cbad159_k-716x483.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524835445_a71cbad159_k-820x554.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524835445_a71cbad159_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As the curtain lifts, we are immediately transported into a grand royal court, decorated with rich gold drapes that stretch the full width of the Lowry’s huge Lyric stage. The costumes, many of which have been restored for this production, are equally striking with a palate of gold, black, peach, and blue, made from luscious fabrics of velvet, taffeta, layered lace and sequins. It makes for a fairytale vision, with the Sleeping Beauty, Aurora wearing a sparkling lace and sequinned tutu, spinning on-pointe like the perfect, music-box ballerina.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This simple tale of good versus evil, makes for effective contrasts of light and dark in the characters, the music, the costumes, and the lighting, none more so than between Daria Stanciulescu’s scheming, Fairy Carabosse, carried villainously high on a sedan chair, and Ellis Small’s gentle, almost floating, Lilac Fairy.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524718229_60eaa6b76f_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:836}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="713" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524718229_60eaa6b76f_k-1024x713.jpg" alt="BRB Sleeping Beauty Momoko Hirata as Princess Aurora and Max Maslen as Prince Florimund, credit Tristram Kenton" class="wp-image-13243" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524718229_60eaa6b76f_k-1024x713.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524718229_60eaa6b76f_k-300x209.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524718229_60eaa6b76f_k-768x535.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524718229_60eaa6b76f_k-716x499.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524718229_60eaa6b76f_k-820x571.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/03/53524718229_60eaa6b76f_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">BRB Sleeping Beauty  Momoko Hirata as Princess Aurora and Max Maslen as Prince Florimund, credit Tristram Kenton </figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Taking on the challenging principal role of Princess Aurora, Momoko Hirata strikes a  balance of being both delicate and strong. She is well-matched with Max Maslen, a commanding Prince Florimund, whose stage presence provides an emotional depth to the technical brilliance of their partner dances.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">All the dancers are wonderfully light of foot, and there is much to admire in their technical detail and strength. However, focus on the dancers’ skill is never at the expense of the narrative, which draws us in to this world of deep forests, spells, and glittering balls.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The grand finale is joyously danced by the whole assembly with gold confetti adding a final touch of magic to the evening.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Sleeping Beauty Trailer | The Lowry" width="716" height="403" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xwU2JiT6cCE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Trailer</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://thelowry.com/whats-on/birmingham-royal-ballet-sleeping-beauty/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BRB The Sleeping Beauty is at The Lowry, Salford from 7 -9 March 2024.</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/brb-the-sleeping-beauty-dance-review/">BRB The Sleeping Beauty: Dance Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
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		<title>São Paulo Dance Company visit The Lowry on first ever UK tour</title>
		<link>https://quayslife.com/todoandsee/sao-paulo-dance-company-visit-the-lowry-on-first-ever-uk-tour/</link>
					<comments>https://quayslife.com/todoandsee/sao-paulo-dance-company-visit-the-lowry-on-first-ever-uk-tour/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Carmel Thomason]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Feb 2024 19:43:38 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Salford Quays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[To do & see]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Lowry]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://quayslife.com/?p=13211</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Theatre audiences can look forward to some Brazilian sunshine this spring when São Paulo Dance Company tours the UK and Ireland for the first time. The company comes to The Lowry, Salford with a triple bill of contemporary works by some of the world’s leading Spanish and Latin American choreographers – and artistic director Inês [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/todoandsee/sao-paulo-dance-company-visit-the-lowry-on-first-ever-uk-tour/">São Paulo Dance Company visit The Lowry on first ever UK tour</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Theatre audiences can look forward to some Brazilian sunshine this spring when São Paulo Dance Company tours the UK and Ireland for the first time.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The company comes to The Lowry, Salford with a triple bill of contemporary works by some of the world’s leading Spanish and Latin American choreographers – and artistic director Inês Bogéa is keen to share São Paulo’s electric energy.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Founded in 2008, São Paulo Dance Company has produced more than 100 classical and contemporary works, toured nearly 20 countries and performed to more than 900,000 people. And now local audiences can enjoy their expertise.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53538900700_9d3105ac5a_k-4.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:801}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="684" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53538900700_9d3105ac5a_k-4-1024x684.jpg" alt="Artistic director Inês Bogéa, photo by Wilian Aguiar" class="wp-image-13213" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53538900700_9d3105ac5a_k-4-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53538900700_9d3105ac5a_k-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53538900700_9d3105ac5a_k-4-768x513.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53538900700_9d3105ac5a_k-4-716x478.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53538900700_9d3105ac5a_k-4-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53538900700_9d3105ac5a_k-4-820x547.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53538900700_9d3105ac5a_k-4.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Artistic director Inês Bogéa, photo by Wilian Aguiar</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“São Paulo is a dance company with a very special Brazilian accent,” Inês says. “We have the passion for dance, we have the energy of Brazil and we love to share that with audiences around the world.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Inés, who was the founding director when the company was created by the Brazilian state government 15 years ago, says music and dance are integral to life in her country.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Movement and the sensation of dance is so much a part of our culture, we celebrate life through dance,” she says. “We dance around the kitchen when we are cooking, we dance at a party with our friends, we dance because we are happy and we also dance when sometimes we are sad.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“We have a temperature which is hot, we have sun for most parts of the year, and I think this affects our emotions.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The tour features a triple bill &#8211; Anthem by Spanish choreographer Goyo Montero, Gnawa by Spain’s Nacho Duato and Agora by Cassi Abranches, who was born in São Paulo and has recently choreographed part of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Black Sabbath – The Ballet.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“The three works talk about rituals in different ways,” says Inês. “Anthem looks at how we are connected through a common purpose that leads us to recognise ourselves as the same group. Gnawa talks about the rituals of people who live in the North of Africa and their connections with the natural world. And in Agora we are talking about time, memories and the reverberation of Brazilian dance.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53537600077_c77cb8f800_k-2.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:720}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="614" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53537600077_c77cb8f800_k-2-1024x614.jpg" alt="Sao Paulo Dance Company, Cassi Abranches's Agora, photo Camilo Munoz + Iari Davies 7, brighter" class="wp-image-13204" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53537600077_c77cb8f800_k-2-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53537600077_c77cb8f800_k-2-300x180.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53537600077_c77cb8f800_k-2-768x461.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53537600077_c77cb8f800_k-2-716x430.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53537600077_c77cb8f800_k-2-820x492.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2024/02/53537600077_c77cb8f800_k-2.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sao Paulo Dance Company, Cassi Abranches&#8217;s Agora, photo Camilo Munoz + Iari Davies 7, brighter</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The tour of 14 towns and cities is presented by Dance Consortium, a group of 19 venues across the UK and Ireland who have come together to bring leading contemporary dance companies from across the globe to local audiences.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I hope that on this tour the audiences enjoy themselves and feel connected with the energy, emotions and beauty of the dancers,” Inês says. “An audience is a very important part of a performance.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“We are looking forward to showing audiences a little bit of our culture and, through the dance, we will all feel the energy of Brazil.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="São Paulo Dance Company trailer" width="716" height="403" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hpt0_8DS_JM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Trailer</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><br><strong><a href="https://thelowry.com/whats-on/sao-paolo-dance-company/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sao Paulo Dance Company is at The Lowry, Salford on 12 and 13 March 2024.</a></strong> </p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/todoandsee/sao-paulo-dance-company-visit-the-lowry-on-first-ever-uk-tour/">São Paulo Dance Company visit The Lowry on first ever UK tour</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
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		<title>Matthew Bourne&#8217;s Romeo and Juliet: Review</title>
		<link>https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-romeo-and-juliet-review/</link>
					<comments>https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-romeo-and-juliet-review/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Carmel Thomason]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jul 2023 19:50:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Adventures]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Review]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://quayslife.com/?p=12553</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>In many ways Romeo and Juliet, bursting with the passion and energy of youth, feels like the perfect ballet for an innovative company like Sir Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures to stage. And if you think there are no new ideas to be mined from Shakespeare’s timeless story of star-crossed lovers – think again. The production [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-romeo-and-juliet-review/">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s Romeo and Juliet: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In many ways Romeo and Juliet, bursting with the passion and energy of youth, feels like the perfect ballet for an innovative company like Sir Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures to stage. And if you think there are no new ideas to be mined from Shakespeare’s timeless story of star-crossed lovers – think again.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The production opens with the drop of a blood-red curtain to reveal two, young, lifeless bodies on a mortuary slab. Everyone knows this is where the tragedy is taking us, but after a brief reminder, we’re swept back in time to ride the emotions that drove this sorry end.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024589236_4c8f337b1b_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:800}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024589236_4c8f337b1b_k-1024x683.jpg" alt="ROMEO AND JULIET Director and Choreographer - Matthew Bourne, Designer - Let Brotherston, Lighting - Paule Constable Credit: Johan Persson" class="wp-image-12550" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024589236_4c8f337b1b_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024589236_4c8f337b1b_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024589236_4c8f337b1b_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024589236_4c8f337b1b_k-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024589236_4c8f337b1b_k-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024589236_4c8f337b1b_k-820x547.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024589236_4c8f337b1b_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">ROMEO AND JULIET Director and Choreographer &#8211; Matthew Bourne, Designer &#8211; Let Brotherston, Lighting &#8211; Paule Constable Credit: Johan Persson</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Here Verona has become The Verona Institute, which sounds much more inviting than it is. Lez Brotherston’s usually elaborate set and costume designs are stripped back to an austere starkness. The white, tiled setting is a cross between a thankfully long-gone asylum and a human lab experiment. Here young people, dressed in head-to-toe white to match the soulless decor, live as in-mates where they are separated by gender, confined by metal fencing, and policed by abusive guards.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Terry Davies has created a new, pared down arrangement of Prokofiev’s score, introducing Dance of the Knights (made popular as the theme tune to TV show The Apprentice) almost immediately, with the rousing march inspiring robotic choreography reflecting how the young people are being kept under control. Their only freedom seems to be in expressing their demons during what look like group therapy sessions.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024979730_4468cb5e0d_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:800,&quot;h&quot;:1200}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024979730_4468cb5e0d_k-683x1024.jpg" alt="ROMEO AND JULIET Director and Choreographer - Matthew Bourne, Designer - Let Brotherston, Lighting - Paule Constable Credit: Johan Persson" class="wp-image-12551" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024979730_4468cb5e0d_k-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024979730_4468cb5e0d_k-200x300.jpg 200w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024979730_4468cb5e0d_k-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024979730_4468cb5e0d_k-716x1074.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024979730_4468cb5e0d_k.jpg 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">ROMEO AND JULIET Director and Choreographer &#8211; Matthew Bourne, Designer &#8211; Let Brotherston, Lighting &#8211; Paule Constable Credit: Johan Persson</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Aside from the comfort of each other, Friar Laurence (here Rev Bernadette Laurence) and her disco, glitter ball, provides the only hope for these lost souls. And it is under this spinning globe of sparkling light that Juliet first catches sight and then locks lips with new boy, Romeo. And what a kiss it is! Bourne’s choreography capturing the intensity of young love with the two young dancers spinning and rolling in a mammoth, energetic embrace.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Paris Fitzpatrick and Cordelia Braithwaite are at once both vulnerable and strong as Romeo and Juliet. Their dance moves are executed with precision and acted with passion that grabs you by the gut and sweeps you along in their romance.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024014997_b8fde0f229_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:800}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024014997_b8fde0f229_k-1024x683.jpg" alt="ROMEO AND JULIET Director and Choreographer - Matthew Bourne, Designer - Let Brotherston, Lighting - Paule Constable Credit: Johan Persson" class="wp-image-12552" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024014997_b8fde0f229_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024014997_b8fde0f229_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024014997_b8fde0f229_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024014997_b8fde0f229_k-716x477.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024014997_b8fde0f229_k-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024014997_b8fde0f229_k-820x547.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/07/53024014997_b8fde0f229_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">ROMEO AND JULIET Director and Choreographer &#8211; Matthew Bourne, Designer &#8211; Let Brotherston, Lighting &#8211; Paule Constable Credit: Johan Persson</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There is a nod to West Side Story and Grease in elements of the choreography. But while referencing the success of what&#8217;s gone before, Bourne&#8217;s unique stamp is still evidently clear.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Nine of the dancers are making their professional debuts with New Adventures through this production and young creatives have worked alongside the regular team on all aspects of the show. The result is a rawness that feels very much a Romeo and Juliet for today, touching on many issues at the heart of young people’s concerns – mental health, sexual and physical abuse, homophobia, generational divisions, and knife crime in a frank and bold way. If teenage love could be captured in a dance, this is it.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Matthew Bourne&#039;s Romeo &amp; Juliet" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/820465428?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963" width="716" height="403" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://thelowry.com/whats-on/matthew-bournes-romeo-juliet-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s Romeo and Juliet is at The Lowry, Salford from 11-15 July 2023.</a> Age guidance 14+</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://quayslife.com/people/matthew-bourne-romeo-and-juliet/">Read our interview with Sir Matthew Bourne.</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/matthew-bournes-romeo-and-juliet-review/">Matthew Bourne&#8217;s Romeo and Juliet: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
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		<title>Kontemporary Korea &#8211; Korea National Contemporary Dance Company: Review</title>
		<link>https://quayslife.com/reviews/kontemporary-korea/</link>
					<comments>https://quayslife.com/reviews/kontemporary-korea/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Georgina Wells]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Apr 2023 17:19:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lowry Theatre]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://quayslife.com/?p=12283</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>As part of the Festival of Korean Dance 2023 – produced in partnership with The Lowry and several other UK venues &#8211; the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company bring a double bill to the Quays Theatre. Rows of the theatre’s seats are removed to allow the stage to be expanded into a huge white square, [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/kontemporary-korea/">Kontemporary Korea &#8211; Korea National Contemporary Dance Company: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As part of the Festival of Korean Dance 2023 – produced in partnership with The Lowry and several other UK venues &#8211; the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company bring a double bill to the Quays Theatre.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844731126_31f49960a0_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:730}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="623" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844731126_31f49960a0_k-1024x623.jpg" alt="Kontemporary Korea - Korea National Contemporary Dance Company" class="wp-image-12284" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844731126_31f49960a0_k-1024x623.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844731126_31f49960a0_k-300x183.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844731126_31f49960a0_k-768x467.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844731126_31f49960a0_k-716x436.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844731126_31f49960a0_k-820x499.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844731126_31f49960a0_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kontemporary Korea &#8211; Korea National Contemporary Dance Company</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Rows of the theatre’s seats are removed to allow the stage to be expanded into a huge white square, which seems to glow of its own accord.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In the aptly-titled first work, Mechanism, six dancers seem like parts in a well-oiled machine. Their sharp, articulated movements appear dictated by the relentless tick of a metronome; their intricate hand gestures and isolated steps interlock, repeat and build in a fascinating display of precision and momentum. Lee Jaeyong’s choreography eventually breaks this defined pattern to become more exuberant and rave-like, with the dancers jumping on the spot to the beat (albeit in perfect unison), uplit by a golden ring of light.</p>



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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Everything Falls Dramatic – another work for six dancers &#8211; is more enigmatic and less immediately accessible. It begins with choreographer Her Sungim skipping and leaping across the stage with childlike freedom, before she is joined by the remaining dancers. Their slow, tranquil section of floorwork is performed with no music and facing away from the audience; they roll fluidly across the stage and fall in sequence into beautifully arched back bends from kneeling, creating the illusion of waves breaking the surface.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844150907_58ce8aa4fe_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:783}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="668" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844150907_58ce8aa4fe_k-1024x668.jpg" alt="Kontemporary Korea - Korea National Contemporary Dance Company" class="wp-image-12286" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844150907_58ce8aa4fe_k-1024x668.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844150907_58ce8aa4fe_k-300x196.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844150907_58ce8aa4fe_k-768x501.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844150907_58ce8aa4fe_k-716x467.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844150907_58ce8aa4fe_k-820x535.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52844150907_58ce8aa4fe_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kontemporary Korea &#8211; Korea National Contemporary Dance Company</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This calm suddenly dissipates as the electro-acoustic score kicks in; the dancers run, stamp, convulse and swing their arms to the infectious beat with a primal energy, bringing the drama promised by the work’s title. Gradually, this pace eases and the music subsides, allowing the audience to notice the power of the dancers’ breathing. They sink to the floor and fold into a heap of bodies, as scarlet petals rain down on them from above.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52845180908_0cdb873788_k.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:677}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="578" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52845180908_0cdb873788_k-1024x578.jpg" alt="Kontemporary Korea - Korea National Contemporary Dance Company" class="wp-image-12285" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52845180908_0cdb873788_k-1024x578.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52845180908_0cdb873788_k-300x169.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52845180908_0cdb873788_k-768x433.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52845180908_0cdb873788_k-524x295.jpg 524w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52845180908_0cdb873788_k-716x404.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52845180908_0cdb873788_k-820x463.jpg 820w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/52845180908_0cdb873788_k.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kontemporary Korea &#8211; Korea National Contemporary Dance Company</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The profound discipline, dynamism and musicality of this company is on clear display in both works and makes for a truly electric performance. Kontemporary Korea continues with <a href="https://thelowry.com/whats-on/kontemporary-korea-howool-baek-and-siga-dance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a triple bill at The Lowry on 6 May</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="KOREA NATIONAL CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/799450780?h=9cf0a5f6e8&amp;dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963" width="716" height="403" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/reviews/kontemporary-korea/">Kontemporary Korea &#8211; Korea National Contemporary Dance Company: Review</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
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		<title>How to join a world-class specialist dance school</title>
		<link>https://quayslife.com/todoandsee/how-to-join-a-world-class-specialist-dance-school/</link>
					<comments>https://quayslife.com/todoandsee/how-to-join-a-world-class-specialist-dance-school/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Carmel Thomason]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Apr 2023 09:30:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Salford Quays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[To do & see]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lowry CAT]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://quayslife.com/?p=12263</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>World-class, specialist dance school the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) at The Lowry, is recruiting young dancers for its Autumn intake. Carmel Thomason talked to CAT Manager, Sally Wyatt to find out more: Why is it important to have a scheme like Lowry CAT? Sally: &#8220;The Lowry CAT scheme allows young people to pursue their [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/todoandsee/how-to-join-a-world-class-specialist-dance-school/">How to join a world-class specialist dance school</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">World-class, specialist dance school the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) at The Lowry, is recruiting young dancers for its Autumn intake. Carmel Thomason talked to CAT Manager, Sally Wyatt to find out more:</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="alignleft size-full"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/Sally-CAT.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:446,&quot;h&quot;:446}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="446" height="446" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/Sally-CAT.jpg" alt="Sally Wyatt Centre for Advanced Training Manager" class="wp-image-12262" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/Sally-CAT.jpg 446w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/Sally-CAT-300x300.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/Sally-CAT-150x150.jpg 150w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/Sally-CAT-204x204.jpg 204w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2023/04/Sally-CAT-166x166.jpg 166w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sally Wyatt Centre for Advanced Training Manager</figcaption></figure>
</div>


<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Why is it important to have a scheme like Lowry CAT?</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sally: </strong>&#8220;<a href="https://quayslife.com/todoandsee/lowry-cat-give-a-taste-of-life-at-a-world-class-specialist-dance-school/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lowry CAT scheme</a> allows young people to pursue their dreams of a career in dance as part of a broad and balanced education. They gain a strong pre-vocational training alongside their formal curriculum education without needing to leave home. The Department for Education means tested grant funding provides financial support for eligible families to support and in many cases, fully fund training costs; making this world class, specialist training affordable and accessible to young people regardless of personal circumstances&#8221;.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>What does an audition for Lowry CAT involve?</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sally: </strong>&#8220;All the young people take part in a contemporary technique and creative class which allows them to demonstrate their capabilities and potential across both areas. The Lowry CAT training supports young people to develop a strong technical foundation and also importantly, find their voice as artists. Participants may also be invited for an interview at the end of the day which gives us all the opportunity to chat more about their aspirations and understanding of dance training&#8221;.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>What are you looking for at the audition?</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sally: </strong>&#8220;We look for young people who have the potential to grow as a technical dancer and creative artist; those who demonstrate clear passion and determination to pursue a career in dance; who are excited to learn and take themselves out of their comfort zone. We’re not looking for years of technical experience but we do look to ensure that the young people have the facility within their bodies and the maturity to take on the intensity of the training. We offer feedback for those young people who we are not able to offer a place to and support them to identify other pathways into dance training&#8221;.</p>



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<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>If successful what type of dance do people learn at CAT?</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sally: </strong>&#8220;The aim of our programme is to prepare our young dancers for full time vocational training and introduce them to what a career in dance may look like so they can make an informed decision about their next steps. The main focus of our technical training is contemporary dance which is in itself, very broad. The foundation of the technique comes from Cunningham but we introduce other techniques to fine-tune the physicality including Ballet, PBT (Progressing Ballet Technique) Yoga, Injury Prevention and Health, and Wellbeing provisions.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">&#8220;A strong focus of our training is on creativity. Choreography, devising and improvisation develops the dancers&#8217; own unique artistic voice. In addition to all of this, dancers are offered the unique opportunity to develop their artistic and creative skills with professional dance companies &amp; artists such as Akram Khan Company, Studio Wayne McGregor &amp; Rambert Dance Company, to name a few, in intensive workshops and courses&#8221;.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>What is the time commitment involved?</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sally: </strong>&#8220;CAT students train at The Lowry every Saturday and one evening a week during term time. They also have the opportunity to create dance with professional visiting dance companies/artists across intensive weekends at half term and a week over Spring break, culminating in an annual performance at the end of the year&#8221;.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>How would you describe the learning environment?</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sally: </strong>&#8220;Our students have wonderful and varied experiences of dance. They learn in a highly supportive environment that allows them to be challenged and inspired physically and artistically, underpinned by a strong focus on their physical and mental health and wellbeing. Our tutors are practising dance artists and excellent educators.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">&#8220;The scheme is based at The Lowry so students are immersed in the world of theatre and culture. We regularly have guest dance and theatre companies work with the students on intensive projects so students have the experience of making dance work with professionals; the connections that The CAT has across the arts sector are fantastic and supportive of their next steps into the world of dance&#8221;.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a class="opinion-popup-img" href=https://quayslife.com/storage/2019/05/Matthew-Rawcliffe-in-‘Axon’.-The-Lowry-CAT-at-UDance-2016-Nationals.-Photography-Brian-Slater.jpg  data-size="{&quot;w&quot;:1200,&quot;h&quot;:800}" ><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://quayslife.com/storage/2019/05/Matthew-Rawcliffe-in-‘Axon’.-The-Lowry-CAT-at-UDance-2016-Nationals.-Photography-Brian-Slater-1024x683.jpg" alt="Matthew Rawcliffe in ‘Axon’. The Lowry CAT at UDance 2016 Nationals. Photography Brian Slater" class="wp-image-4324" srcset="https://quayslife.com/storage/2019/05/Matthew-Rawcliffe-in-‘Axon’.-The-Lowry-CAT-at-UDance-2016-Nationals.-Photography-Brian-Slater-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2019/05/Matthew-Rawcliffe-in-‘Axon’.-The-Lowry-CAT-at-UDance-2016-Nationals.-Photography-Brian-Slater-300x200.jpg 300w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2019/05/Matthew-Rawcliffe-in-‘Axon’.-The-Lowry-CAT-at-UDance-2016-Nationals.-Photography-Brian-Slater-768x512.jpg 768w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2019/05/Matthew-Rawcliffe-in-‘Axon’.-The-Lowry-CAT-at-UDance-2016-Nationals.-Photography-Brian-Slater-716x478.jpg 716w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2019/05/Matthew-Rawcliffe-in-‘Axon’.-The-Lowry-CAT-at-UDance-2016-Nationals.-Photography-Brian-Slater-332x222.jpg 332w, https://quayslife.com/storage/2019/05/Matthew-Rawcliffe-in-‘Axon’.-The-Lowry-CAT-at-UDance-2016-Nationals.-Photography-Brian-Slater.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Matthew Rawcliffe in ‘Axon’. The Lowry CAT at UDance 2016 Nationals. Photography Brian Slater</figcaption></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>What age do people normally join the scheme?</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sally: </strong>&#8220;We have students join at a time that suits them between 11 and 16 years of age&#8221;.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>What have graduates from the scheme gone on to do?</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sally: </strong>&#8220;Most graduates from the scheme choose to go onto vocational training or to train in something connected with dance such as physiotherapy. So many of our students are performing, teaching and choreographing across the world. Some examples of CAT <a href="https://quayslife.com/todoandsee/matthew-rawcliffe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alumni</a> career highlights include dancing with the world renowned Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, developing their own successful, innovative dance companies &amp; researching in dance science and mental health. Students learn valuable life skills and make long lasting friendships and many have come back home to work with us here at The Lowry as teachers, choreographers and coordinators!&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>How can people find out more?</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Sally: </strong>&#8220;By attending one of our Open Days on 23 April or 14 May. You can <a href="https://tickets.thelowry.com/groups/en-GB/shows/the lowry cat open day/events/2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">book a free spo</a>t via the website or for more information email CAT@thelowry.com or call us on 07983485273. Application forms for the Audition in June will be available soon on The <a href="https://thelowry.com/get-creative/young-people/dance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lowry website</a>&#8220;.</p>



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bridge over Trouble Waters - The Dawning // Lowry CAT Showcase 2022" width="716" height="403" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MZw5uCraAVI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p>The post <a href="https://quayslife.com/todoandsee/how-to-join-a-world-class-specialist-dance-school/">How to join a world-class specialist dance school</a> appeared first on <a href="https://quayslife.com">Quays Life</a>.</p>
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