Nobulus in Out of the Shadow at Oxford Playhouse 8th October 2013 – Eleanor Jones reviews

The whole production of Nobulus‘ Out of the Shadow is cinematic in its scope. The choice of music throughout the piece is populist in its approach; featuring extremely famous classical pieces and intertextual references intermixed with music from well-known film soundtracks. The first half (undoubtedly my favourite) focusses on the creation of life; the combination of the imaginatively choreographed group-created forms and musical grandeur reminded me of the Rite of Spring and Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony scenes in Disney’s Fantasia.  The large and dynamic cast of dancers  engaging in acrobatics, breaking, ballet and popping and locking helps to create an energetic pace that is steadily maintained throughout the production, which adds to the filmic quality of Out of the Shadow.

 

Justice in Motion in ‘Bound’ at the Pegasus – Eleanor Jones reviews

The inaugural performance at the Pegasus of Anja Meinhardt’s physical theatre company, Justice in Motion, in collaboration with Oxfordshire Community Against Trafficking (OXCAT) takes a bold first step with Bound. With the intention of “building a bridge between social justice campaigns and the arts” Justice in Motion present a powerful and intimate piece blending elements of dance, dramatic performance, video and sound.

Three characters inhabit the stage, and the attention of the audience is first focussed on each in detail, but as the action progresses and the stories blend, the characters’ movements begin to shadow each other through their shared experiences.

 

Jasmin Vardimon’s Freedom at Oxford Playhouse Monday 11th March 2013 – Eleanor Jones reviews

Freedom is in many ways an idea that can only really ever be expressed fully by dance – the sheer abandon of movement without restriction or concern for social protocols. In taking the concept of freedom as their inspiration, the Jasmin Vardimon Company bravely dived into a bottomless pit of human feeling, for what is more endless, and more important to the human soul than freedom? It is one of these things, much like control, that are only defined by their absence or felt in moments of restriction. Yet we spend a good deal of our time ignoring it, existing in the grey area between, plastering smiles upon our frustrated faces.

 

English National Ballet in The Sleeping Beauty at the New Theatre 23rd February (evening)- Eleanor Jones reviews

The Sleeping Beauty is one of my favourite fairy-tales, Disney films, music scores… well, one of my favourite just about anything. For me, the ballet The Sleeping Beauty sums up everything that first delights any newcomer to ballet – young or old, the magic of the story and music has a mesmerising effect, and it rightfully maintains its position as one of the world’s most-loved ballets. I have seen it performed before by a small touring company, and was rather disappointed after a lacklustre production, but the English National Ballet quickly reaffirmed my faith in their performance at Oxford’s  New Theatre.