Oxford Dance Writers

This beautiful book of images, philosophical musings, conversations and ‘performance texts’ celebrates the work of the company Mal Pelo, a dance collaboration between María Muñoz and Pep Ramis. It represents a ‘pause’ in a creative process that sees performance as a ‘stage on the way rather than a final destination’, and readers will either buy into this concept or not.

The approach is serious, reflective and introspective, and behind the flowery prose there is a genuine desire to capture and record a creative process. It is also undeniably puzzling. The binding has a beautiful image of a horse wrapped around the spine from front to back cover: ‘Horses swim only rarely, perhaps when faced with some danger. In extreme situations we demand the impossible of ourselves …’ we are told, perhaps rather sententiously. (more…)

The Annual Festival platform of dance specially commissioned by Pegasus and Dancin’ Oxford.  Now in its fifth year, Moving with the Times showcases brand new dance work by some of Oxfordshire’s most exciting performers and choreographers. Artists and companies have spent several months working at Pegasus and elsewhere preparing and perfecting their work for one of Dancin’ Oxford’s key festival events.  This year’s artists include Justice in Motion; Cecilia Macfarlane, Melissa Holding, Hilary Kneale; Unlock The Chains Collective; and Marina Collard. (more…)

One of the highlights of the forthcoming Dancin’ Oxford 2015 Festival; Random Dance, the company of  multi award-winning British choreographer Wayne McGregor renowned for his highly innovative collaborations across dance, film, music, technology and science, will be coming to Oxford Playhouse for two performances on 3rd and 4th March.  Atomising bodies, movement and film, McGregor’s Atomos features his ten incredible dancers performing their unique style – sculptural, rigorous, jarring and hauntingly beautiful.  Collaborating artists include lighting designer Lucy Carter and filmmaker Ravi Deepres, along with costumes by the ground-breaking designers of wearable technologies, Studio XO. Neo-classical ambient composers A Winged Victory For The Sullen provide the soaring score. (more…)

Fanny Elssler was one of the most brilliant stars of the nineteenth century stage, but her significance lies not in her ephemeral fame, but in the mark that she left on the development of ballet as an art form that is not merely beautiful, but also has the capacity to convey the deepest dilemmas of the human condition. Théophile Gautier famously characterised Elssler as a ‘pagan’ dancer, in contrast to the ‘Christian’ Marie Taglioni, and Elssler’s style, which is beautifully evoked in the many descriptive passages quoted in Ivor Guest‘s biography, was rooted in human emotion and experience.

Elssler had great technical gifts: she was graceful, light and precise, gliding across the stage with fast footwork, attack and buoyancy, dancing on ‘steely points’ with ‘marvellous equilibrium’. However, it was her sense for dramatic coherence and her intelligent understanding of narrative that are her greatest legacy. (more…)

The West End arrived at Oxford’s New Theatre last week for a short run of the award winning musical Top Hat. Based on the classic RKO black and white movie of 1935 starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, this recent adaptation of the film to stage show is now touring the UK for 47 weeks after a successful London run garnering Olivier Awards for Best New Musical, Best Theatre Choreographer (Bill Deamer), and Best Costume Design (Jon Morrell). A treat to see such a full and colourful musical production with large ensemble and live band, and to enjoy wonderful and witty Irving Berlin songs. To fill out the show original favourites from the film such as “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails”, and “Cheek to Cheek”, have been supplemented by hits from other Berlin musicals, such as “Let’s Face the Music and Dance”, as well as some intriguing lesser known numbers, thus providing more opportunities for ensemble dancing, as well as songs for leading characters originally with just acting roles. (more…)