Oxford Dance Writers

Swan Lake performed by the English Youth Ballet was a life-enhancing experience for the dancers and for the parents, teachers and general public who very nearly filled the New Theatre for three performances 21st and 22nd September.   Directed by Janet Lewis MBE and  reinforced by six professional dancers who were also coaches,  more than a hundred children  aged  between eight and eighteen displayed poise, confidence and impressive discipline.    The boys had crisp rhythm and showmanship . The girls held their heads high while displaying skilled technique. (more…)

Bound. For elsewhere. To circumstance. To others.

Ivanka, Nadine and Simeon each come from vastly different walks of life, yet are connected by a common experience – driven by the hope of a better life, each finds themselves bound to circumstances they would never have chosen or foreseen for themselves  and each must now choose to what extent they will be defined, shaped or broken by them.  New Oxford company Justice in Motion present their debut production BOUND, taking inspiration from true accounts of human trafficking, to create a compelling and thought-provoking piece of physical theatre, exploring each character’s journey through a dynamic fusion of storytelling, contemporary circus, music, projection and dance. (more…)

English National Ballet bring their new production of the popular 19th century ballet Le Corsaire to Oxford’s New Theatre this autmn.  Le Corsaire (The Pirate, inspired by Byron’s poem) tells the story of Conrad, a dashing pirate, and his love for Medora, a beautiful harem girl. It is a swashbuckling drama of captive maidens, rich sultans, kidnap and rescue, disguise and conspiracy, love and betrayal, culminating in a shipwreck which is one of the most breath-taking spectacles in ballet. English National Ballet is the first UK Company to perform the complete work which showcases some of the most bravura male dancing in the ballet repertoire. (more…)

Nobulus, stars of Breakin’ Convention at Sadler’s Wells Theatre London, return to the UK this autumn with the full length version of their 2007-8 hip hop dance theatre show Out of the Shadow.  An extraordinary mix of breaking, popping and locking, contemporary dance, acrobatics and ballet, it tells a cautionary tale, from the creation of the universe and evolution of man through to an imaginary apocalyptic future.  Using only their bodies, this 10-strong crew from Austria create otherworldly scenes by morphing themselves into structures, creatures and even macines.  Set to an epic soundtrack, this thrilling show contains primal images of sacrifice and betrayal, love and pleasure, death and destruction. (more…)

Over the past few months, a team of researchers from the Faculty of Classics and the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oxford have been conducting a practice-based study into the ancient dance form tragoedia saltata, or Roman tragic pantomime. The pilot phase of this study is now complete, and the team hope now to present initial findings in conjunction with open discussion of the place of dance in academia, approaches to dance history, and intersections between dance scholarship and practice. (more…)

The Laura Knight exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery includes four pictures of special interest to ballet fans.  Firstly, there are the two portraits of Barbara Bonner, one of which seems to be a study for the other, that was commissioned by Earl Hoover, who chose her to be the model.  Although the final portrait is “staged”, in that the dancer is shown with a dresser who was actually Knight’s dressmaker, it is interesting not only because the artist (or possibly the patron) has chosen to show the dancer backstage, but also because Bonner is presented as such a strong and meditative figure;  this is no wafer-thin dreamy sylph, but a muscular and thoughtful woman. (more…)

BODY POLITIC CELEBRATES FIRST BIRTHDAY WITH A WORLD-CLASS LINE-UP.

On Saturday 21st September Body Politic is hosting an exclusive dance showcase to mark its first birthday at Pegasus Theatre. The showcase boasts to be one of Oxford’s biggest urban dance showcases to date, with performances from professional crews and companies such as Sky1’s Got to Dance recent semi finalists Poison.  There are fourteen crews and companies from across the UK involved in the dance showcase with styles including Hip-Hop, Contemporary and Commercial. Crews and companies from as far as Nottingham and Portsmouth will be strutting their stuff on stage alongside local artists and groups from Oxford.   Guaranteed to have you dancing in your seats and shouting for more! (more…)

The Exuberant Trust is a local Oxfordshire charity which supports young people’s aspirations in the arts by providing small grants at crucial times for specific purposes to help them achieve their goals.  Founded in 2003 in memory of Jennifer Graham-Jones, it has since then given out nearly 80 grants and over £42,000 to help young singers, instrumentalists, composers, dancers, designers, actors, video makers, jewellers, and workshop leaders.

The Trustees are delighted that Pegasus Theatre has agreed to host Exuberant Oxford! a special 10th anniversary showcase which will feature a range of talented young instrumentalists, emerging singer Anna Shackleton, a presentation by acclaimed Oxford theatre group Idle Motion, and performance by local dance artists such as Paulette Mae, Kathak dancer Anuradha Chaturvedi, Hannah de Cancho of Sole Rebel Tap, and street dance group BodyPolitic, as well as dance film by Erika Montenegro and video excerpts of Commedia by Susie Crow commissioned and supported by the Trust for Ballet in Small Spaces’ 2011 tour.  (more…)

September promises to be an exciting month for Oxfordshire based dance artists, several of whom are performing at the new GOlive Dance and Performance Festival curated by dance critic Donald Hutera (the Times) at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre in London.  Part of the Giant Olive Community Theatre Company, and now going into its twenty-fifth year, Kentish Town’s only theatre has firmly established itself as a cultural centre for high quality and innovative theatrical productions.  Resident Company Giant Olive have produced over twenty of their own productions at the venue, including classics, new writing, musical theatre projects and contemporary ballet productions and have also played host to over 300 visiting companies in the last five years.

London will get a chance to see work by the following Oxfordshire dance artists: Paulette Mae, Marina Collard, Nick McKerrow of Anjali, Cecile Feza Bushidi, Ana Barbour, and Susie Crow with Jennifer Jackson as BIG Ballets. (more…)