Carmel ThomasonFor a solo dancer to perform a full-length show is an impressive feat and one which Aakash Odedra pulls off with ease. The last time I saw it done was the phenomenal Akram Khan, who mentored Aakash earlier in his career, and his influence can be...
The language of dance is universal and this mixed bill, hosted by Manchester’s Company Chameleon at The Lowry, highlights the constants of the human condition beautifully. We all experience relationships, love, pain, fear and struggle, and the...
Commissioned to commemorate 100 years since the start of the First World War, Lest We Forget brings together the talents of three of the most sought after British choreographers to reflect, through dance, the lives and emotions of those who lived...
In Palestine, dabke is a dance often enjoyed at weddings and other big celebrations. It is a cross between a circle dance and line dancing, with people joining with arms around each other and kicking out their legs. It is something all cultures can...
For those quick to label Manchester International Festival as elitist, point them towards FlexN Manchester. In recent years Britain’s Got Talent has revealed a huge appetite for street dance in popular culture, and this show is a fantastic...
Although a performer for almost 20 years, Theo Clinkard’s dance company is relatively new on the contemporary dance scene. A resident artist at Greenwich Dance and an associate artist at Dance4, Clinkard established his own company in 2012, and Of...
Stomp has come a long way since its 1991 premiere at the Edinburgh Festival. More than 20 years on, the show, created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, has become a global success and its popularity doesn’t show any signs of slowing. Part of...
As Resident Artists at The Lowry, there was clearly a celebration going on for the premiere of Company Chameleon’s new show, Beauty of the Beast. I must admit that I found both the idea and the title unappealing. The theme of the show is about male...
It’s hard to imagine that the first ever production of Swan Lake was panned by critics for its poor choreography. More than 135 years later, it is now the world’s most popular ballet and its swan maidens have become iconic representations of the...
When I think of tap dancing, I picture Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, smart suits, romance, maybe top hats and a cane. Apparently, tap dancing has come a long way since then. And in Tap Factory there is none of the usual gloss of American entertainment...