DANCE THEATER REVIEWS

Αγρίμι (Fauve) by Lenio Kaklea is a brave piece of modern dance that should be recognised for its shunning of conventions and committed performances. As well as its “if Balenciaga did contemporary dance…” overarching feel. ...

It’s interesting to consider that ballet began its development in the mid 16th century, however it wasn't until around 400 years later that BIPOC (American) dancers Maria Tallchief, Raven Wilkinson and Arthur Mitchell, first joined ballet companies....

A sweet revival of Frederick Ashton's best-known and loved ballet returns to Sadler's Wells. Showcasing both comedy and complexity in its solos and routines, La Fille mal gardée brings a splash of sunshine to the stage. Beatrice Parma makes a striking debut as Principal dancer in the role of cheeky...

Anyone who has spent a childhood afternoon daydreaming in their bedroom is sure to be captured by the whimsical charm of WONDERMENT, the program that opened the American Repertory Ballet (ARB) 2024-2025 season....

Guided by the vision of five female, international choreographers, Luna narrates the complexities of womanhood-its beauty, struggles, and power. While Luna has some notably powerful moments, and the music is beautiful, it ultimately falls short in its current form. ...

The Royal Ballet season continues with its first modern bill - Encounters: Four contemporary ballets. For some, like me, the four works presented are all new, but in actuality only two of the four are premières. And one of those is in fact a development of an existing (2022) pas de deux into a bigg...

Dance Umbrella continues in London with Radioactive Practice by Abby Z (Abby Zbikowski) and the New Utility. Sadler’s Wells is transformed for the work with three banks of seats placed on the stage and the upper two circles of the auditorium closed. Some audience members still sit in the stalls, b...

What did our critic think of Chamber + Silent Tides + Bolero X at National Arts Centre? Read the review. ...

It can be a mistake to get overexcited. If then disappointed, the reality is tough to take. Case in point: Four by the Young Associates at Sadler’s Wells. Read our review... ...

The National Ballet of Ukraine and the Shumka Dancers recently performed a beautiful program at the Kennedy Center Opera House aptly titled Nadiya Ukraine, “nadiya” meaning “hope” in Ukrainian. In a two-hour show, the audience witnessed the richness of Ukrainian culture, the bleak interperso...

As his latest production Theatre Of Dreams amply demonstrates, it’s probably easier to pin strawberry jelly to a wall than to precisely pin down Hofesh Shechter’s exuberant full-on style. ...

Dance Umbrella 2024 opened at the Barbican last night for the 46th year of the cutting-edge dance festival. People have come to expect the opportunity to see experimental work during the run, and last night didn't disappoint in this sense. ...

The Place welcomes back the National Dance Company Wales in a double bill: Frontiers. See what our critic had to say. ...

There is excitement and impressiveness in witnessing a group of dancers execute multiple genres of dance in one evening. In the heart of Chelsea, the dancers of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company share what is vital to the dance industry nowadays: versatility. As part of its 56th season, the company�...

One person shows aren't easy things to do, and the Theatre Royal Drury Lane is a big space to fill, so Maria Caruso has all the cards stacked against her for her new solo performance Incarnation. ...

The Royal Ballet 24/25 season opened on September 28 with Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. When first created in 2011 the ballet was made up of two acts, by 2012 Wheeldon had reworked things into three and this is what we find in the 2024 revival. See what our critic thin...

Charles Mingus originally intended for his iconic 1963 jazz album The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady to be accompanied by dancers and, thanks to performance company Clod Ensemble and the Nu Civilisation Orchestra, it becomes the inspiration for a vibrant and inclusive show....

For more than two decades, the annual choreographers showcase held at the New York City Center has featured artistry that is tremendous and, on occasion, stultifying at prices that are always unbeatable....

Almost thirty years since they last performed, London City Ballet are making a return to their former home at Sadler's Wells this week. Artistic director Christopher Marney has assembled a small company of talented dancers and in this Resurgence programme, a mixture of classic pieces half-forgotte...

I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again…but what The Coronet Theatre is doing feels new, relevant and exciting. Currently on show is The Belt - Past & Future by Korea's Ambiguous Dance Company. The work is The Coronet's first-ever site-specific event, and I think it's an absolute corke...

It's not often one comes across theatre that's transformative; but when you do, you know. Case in point: ZooNation’s The Mad Hatter's Tea Party....

It's a significant cultural moment for the State Ballet of Georgia, who come to London for the first time in their 175 year history to perform the iconic Swan Lake....

Pilobolus comes to The Joyce Theater for a two-week residency and New York metro audiences will be delighted and enthralled by the programs they are presenting....

Before I Go, first seen during the Brixton House's Housemates Festival in summer 2023, is a one hour work written by Tobi King Bakare that centres on Ajani, a young, black man who has issues with communication when it really matters....

National Youth Dance Company has been running since 2013, and acts as “England’s Flagship youth dance company”, the brainchild of, and run by Sadler’s Wells. The (Guest) Artistic Directors read like a who’s who of present day contemporary dance royalty, and 23/24 sees Oona Doherty take up ...