Latest news with #DanceBase
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe Dance reviews: Apocalipsync
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Apocalipsync Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) ★★★★☆ From baking to gardening, the pastimes embraced to endure lockdown were many and varied. For Argentinean performer Luciano Rosso, who had been touring the world with his excellent Fringe show, Un Poyo Rojo, enforced confinement was tough. But rather than perfect his sourdough, Rosso used the time to shape this sparkling solo, capturing one man's experience of the pandemic. Luciano Rosso in Apocalipsync | Hermes Gaido The news voiceovers of Nicola Sturgeon, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump might trigger unwanted memories, but they do take us right back to those broadcasts. If their tone is serious, it's the only thing here that is. Rosso is a natural physical comic, whose face and body was built to flex and morph. As his day unfolds, we watch him brush his teeth, make breakfast, get annoyed by noisy neighbours and more, with each movement and facial expression locked to the busy soundscape. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Some moments hit the spot more than others, but watching Rosso lipsync and posture to a range of bird calls is worth the ticket alone. The speed and wit with which he puckers his lips or jerks his head, perfectly synched to each avian cry, is a masterclass in physicality and timing. And while he remains dressed in boxer shorts, dressing gown or towel for most of the performance (a nod to the limited amount of clothes many of us got through during that time), there is a Ru Paul's Drag Race vibe when Rosso lip-syncs to Mariah Carey's Emotions. Without a hint of make-up or glamour, he holds us in the palm of his hand as he sashays around the stage and 'hits' those incredible high notes. To be able to take us back to such dark days yet keep everything 100 percent light is a skill in itself, and one Rosso has clearly spent way more than two years honing. until 24 August Candlelight: Classic Rock in the Round ★★★☆☆ Dance Base (Venue 22) The Fringe has a way of introducing you to genres you didn't know existed, and this is a true case in point. On a stage surrounded by battery-operated candles, two performers bring together the unlikely bedfellows of electric rock violin and contemporary dance. While you're busy figuring out whether this combination actually works, Christopher Vuk (aka The Blue Violin) and dancer Stefani Chertsova have already started entertaining you – so just go with it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Both Vuk and Chertsova have versatility running through them from their fingers to their toes. Chertsova switches from contemporary dance to ballet to rock, and even a bit of American hoe-down, without missing a beat, each move as beautifully executed as the last. While Vuk is a dynamic player whose physicality lends itself perfectly to AC/DC's Thunderstruck, Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird, a few hits from Barbie and Footloose, and a gentle rendition of Saint-Saëns' Dying Swan. Throughout, Vuk talks about his journey from small town America to playing on stage with Paul Simon. The amplification, fake candles and backing track won't be for everyone, but there's no denying the talent on stage. until 24 August
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe dance physical theatre reviews Hamlet by New York Circus Project Trace of Belief
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hamlet by New York Circus Project ★★★★ Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) until 24 August There's Shakespearean theatre, there's circus, and then there's this - which appears to be a genre all of its own. Quite unlike anything you're likely to have seen before (and that's saying something at the Fringe), this production of Hamlet has to be watched through a very particular lens. Only the most pivotal points of Shakespeare's text have made the cut, and to begin with, the acrobatic manoeuvres feel strangely tagged on. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hamlet by New York Circus Project Yet if you go along with it, this highly entertaining show pays you back handsomely. It would be easy for a circus troupe to value strength and agility over acting prowess, but the key roles here have been superbly cast. Maddox Morfit-Tighe is wholly believable as the grieving, vengeful Hamlet. Despite the brevity of his words, each of his relationships have depth and meaning, whether it's with his mother, girlfriend or uncle (all three of whom have equal gravitas). Maleah Rendon as Ophelia also has a wonderful physicality, put to excellent use during her beautifully choreographed death scene, featuring real water. If some of the acrobatic moments and dance routines feel ever so slightly shoe-horned in, others glide perfectly into the narrative. The ghost of Hamlet's late father is portrayed through strong and elegant aerial work, as befits a late king, while the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (already ripe for physical comedy) are suitably played for laughs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Throughout the cast, each acrobatic leap and lift is perfectly executed with confidence and skill, whether they're building human towers or flipping on the spot. Perhaps what impresses most, however, is that this newly created genre manages to hold both elements in high regard. The circus technique has been hard-won by everyone on stage, and the drama inherent in Shakespeare's words is treated with the respect it deserves. Kelly Apter Taiwan Season: Trace of Belief ★★★★ Dance Base (Venue 22) until 24 August This captivating new show from Taiwan's Chun Dance is the performance equivalent of a bedtime app. Not that it sends you to sleep, far from it, but there is a hypnotic flow to it that settles the mind and calms the spirit. Grouped together as one flock, dressed in pale blue tie-dye, six dancers sway slowly from side to side as if touched by a gentle breeze. Eyes focused into the distance, they draw us in from the first quiet breath, and don't set us back down until the final moment. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Yet despite this delicacy of movement, an inner strength resonates from inside each of them. Partly conveyed through their strong, supple movement, which is never an inch out of place. But also coming from somewhere deep within, and helping to bring Hsieh Yi-Chun's vision to life. This up-and-coming Taiwanese choreographer has few international credits to her name, but works such as this will surely change that. Yi-Chun took inspiration for Trace of Belief from her own childhood, where memories of temple processions and community rituals helped formulate her view of life. The push and pull between past and present is felt throughout the piece. When the world is moving at such a fast pace, how do we hold onto tradition? And in an increasingly secular society, what place does faith have? All of this is handled with an abstract, contemporary dance sensibility, without ever spoon-feeding the audience. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Traditional brushes clasped between the teeth, and brief bursts of bold athletic movement capture the element of ritual. But by the end, we've come full circle and a poignant moment in which one dancer strips down to her underwear, is a tender illustration of laying our souls bare. Kelly Apter Voyeur / Samba & Love ★★★★ Dance Base (Venue 22) until 24 August This dynamic double bill from Brazil's São José dos Campos Dance Company is an hour of slick, engaging contemporary dance that never lets the pace drop for a single second. Relentless (in a good way) in her capacity to drive the dancers from one highly-charged moment to the next, choreographer Lili de Grammont takes us inside two aspects of modern life. In Voyeur, we find a group of people seated in a circle, while a relationship plays out in the middle. The couple at the centre work through a myriad of sensual, romantic, sometimes brittle connections, all under the watchful gaze of strangers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As a metaphor for the way so many lives, both famous and otherwise, are carried out under the glare of social media, it hits the spot. During one routine, two hand-held flashlights are pointed at the central performers, giving them no means of escape from the harsh intrusion. But these moments of coupledom are just one aspect of Voyeur - de Grammont keeps the whole ensemble (all dressed in funkily-cut sharp suits) busy with energised synchronised choreography. Barely able to draw breath during a short costume change, the same talented dancers give their all once again in Samba & Love, another astute look into life's less attractive corners. This time, de Grammont turns her lens on the all-too prevalent nature of burnout, and the wellness industry that feeds off it. Here, the rhythmic soundtrack echoes the frenetic busyness of modern life, while voiceovers deliver the words of wisdom we're all well versed in ('listen to your body'). Pulling an inflatable sofa onto the stage, three dancers take part in a panel discussion about how to look after ourselves. But, somewhat inevitably, they - like most of us - are soon drawn back into the chaos. Kelly Apter DUSK/NIGHT/DAWN ★★★ Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) until 10 August Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad DUSK/NIGHT/DAWN begins with what feels like a bedtime story, about a paper star maker and firework man who vie for control over the decoration of the night sky. It's an appropriate start for a show concerned with the spectacular possibilities of vertical space, as a series of beautifully choreographed aerial pole vignettes unfold with the setting of the sun and draw to a close as it once again rises. The sheer physical prowess of the two performers, Donna Carnow and Gina Alm, could be spectacle enough, but DUSK/NIGHT/DAWN leans into the dreamlike sensibility of its liminal time-space, using clever lighting design and costuming to build a world of nights out and mornings after. Pulses of bright strobe fragment the dancers' movements, while tinselled dresses whip through the air with the same gravity defying determination of their wearers. This montage-like structure adds a dreamy quality to the work, but it also punctuates its narrative flow: each vignette is arresting but the emotional throughline that connects them remains somewhat muted. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The result is a performance that is beautiful but not quite euphoric, a spectacle that remains largely just that. Still, when the spectacle is this impressive, it's well worth a look. Anahit Behrooz Formosa Viva ★★★ Paradise @ Augustine's (Venue 152) until 9 August Through 12 musical pieces, Formosa Viva Dance Theater encompasses Taiwan's 500-year history, highlighting the transition from martial law under the Republic of China's governance to democracy, and other key cultural influences and advances. Two screens survey a stage, which the company uses to effect. A pillar, which is part of the architecture of the space, is involved in the piece as the group of six dancers form a ring around it. Dressed in white, their bodies eddy. They could be water turning into a wave, perhaps they are the foam at its crest. In addition to dance and movement, the company uses their voices, chanting in harmony. Sequences, particularly at the opening, go on for too long without any variation or explanation, and when significant events such as martial law are introduced, expositional writing scrolls across the screens too quickly to appreciate the milestones narrated. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As the piece ends, moments of peace (themes of gender equality and cultural diversity come to the fore) are vivid, and offer a marked shift from earlier scenes of brutality, overseen by the animated figure of a fairy-tale crone, brandishing puppet strings. Formosa Viva promises a thought-provoking 50 minutes, on a very crucial subject matter. Josephine Balfour-Oatts
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
A new start after 60: I became a dancer at 68 – and will perform my first solo show at 82
At 82, Christine Thynne is an emerging artist. 'Risk! There's a colossal amount of risk,' Thynne says. She is about to perform her show, These Mechanisms, over three weeks at the Edinburgh fringe. While 'emerging' isn't a word often applied to artists in their 80s, Thynne says the description is appropriate. 'I wasn't there before,' she says. 'I wasn't a solo performer.' Thynne's show melds aspects of her life – she trained as a physiotherapist in the 1960s – along with other passions. Among her props are planks, stepladders and water. 'Things I shouldn't be doing,' she says. 'Moving scaffolding planks. Changing the shape of stepladders. Carrying water.' She enjoys sea kayaking, having progressed from being coached to paddling the Lofoten islands in Norway, in her 50s. 'Sliding up a wave, going down the other side – it was so exciting,' she says. But when she was browsing the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh, Scotland, where she lives, and saw a brochure for a class in Dance Base, Scotland's national centre for dance, she balked. The class was free for the over-60s, and Thynne was 68. 'I thought: 'Dare I?'' For many people, kayaking in open water would be scarier than joining a dance class, but 'in life', Thynne says, 'there are occasions when you can lose your self-confidence. You can lose your identity. I was very nervous, wondering could I do it, would I be good enough?' She had done a bit of ballet and tap growing up in the north-east of England, and loved sport. Not to compete, but because she 'loved the way the body moved'. At 16, she wrote to the chartered society of physiotherapists, and did a course on day release while working locally at Imperial Chemical Industries. 'I still love the way the body moves,' she says, 'How you can feel the tension in a muscle – is it the right place you're feeling? Which muscles are weak? Which joints are affected? And how even with simple exercise, you can make people feel much better.' After a divorce in the mid-1980s, she embarked on a second career, teaching movement and music, and anatomy and massage to therapists, while raising two teenage sons. She has loved the outdoors since her mum, who was a professional musician, took Thynne and her two sisters 'out into the fresh air, to have this love of the countryside, to go brambling, to walk. She gave that to us.' Thynne, similarly, is 'somebody who pushes myself, takes opportunities, takes a risk,' she says. 'I'm obviously prepared to go on trying and doing, [asking] can I do this? And then being surprised that yes, I can.' When she went to her first dance session, it was 'won-der-ful!' she says, singing the word. 'I realised that somebody was teaching me what to do, and there was music playing and I could let go and I felt that joy of my body moving, coming through me.' She progressed to Prime, Dance Base's semi-professional company for over-60s. After that came funding from Luminate, Dance Base, Creative Scotland and Made in Scotland. For These Mechanisms, she has collaborated with the choreographer Robbie Synge. 'It's almost as if I'm having another career.' Along the way, she has learned 'to listen … to find out more about myself, my capabilities. How to put my point of view forward, to be part of a team.' She hopes to tour the show overseas. In the meantime, she keeps fit. 'Each morning, I hang for two or three minutes, take my body weight, then I turn around and hang the other way. Then I do some gentle stretching.' And, of course, she dances. All the time. 'I probably dance if I am going from the fridge to the cooker, taking some dishes,' she says, swirling her hands in the air. 'Isn't that what dance is? You just have to let go and explore it.' These Mechanisms isn't exactly autobiographical, but it 'tells a story of persistence, of joy, of risk', which sounds like Thynne. 'You could do this in your 20s, you could do it in your 80s,' she says. 'It's about the limits of the human body and the desire to make things happen.' These Mechanisms runs until 20 August at DB3 as part of Dance Base's fringe programme, delivered in partnership with Assembly festival Tell us: has your life taken a new direction after the age of 60?
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
A new start after 60: I became a dancer at 68 – and will perform my first solo show at 82
At 82, Christine Thynne is an emerging artist. 'Risk! There's a colossal amount of risk,' Thynne says. She is about to perform her show, These Mechanisms, over three weeks at the Edinburgh fringe. While 'emerging' isn't a word often applied to artists in their 80s, Thynne says the description is appropriate. 'I wasn't there before,' she says. 'I wasn't a solo performer.' Thynne's show melds aspects of her life – she trained as a physiotherapist in the 1960s – along with other passions. Among her props are planks, stepladders and water. 'Things I shouldn't be doing,' she says. 'Moving scaffolding planks. Changing the shape of stepladders. Carrying water.' She enjoys sea kayaking, having progressed from being coached to paddling the Lofoten islands in Norway, in her 50s. 'Sliding up a wave, going down the other side – it was so exciting,' she says. But when she was browsing the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh, Scotland, where she lives, and saw a brochure for a class in Dance Base, Scotland's national centre for dance, she balked. The class was free for the over-60s, and Thynne was 68. 'I thought: 'Dare I?'' For many people, kayaking in open water would be scarier than joining a dance class, but 'in life', Thynne says, 'there are occasions when you can lose your self-confidence. You can lose your identity. I was very nervous, wondering could I do it, would I be good enough?' She had done a bit of ballet and tap growing up in the north-east of England, and loved sport. Not to compete, but because she 'loved the way the body moved'. At 16, she wrote to the chartered society of physiotherapists, and did a course on day release while working locally at Imperial Chemical Industries. 'I still love the way the body moves,' she says, 'How you can feel the tension in a muscle – is it the right place you're feeling? Which muscles are weak? Which joints are affected? And how even with simple exercise, you can make people feel much better.' After a divorce in the mid-1980s, she embarked on a second career, teaching movement and music, and anatomy and massage to therapists, while raising two teenage sons. She has loved the outdoors since her mum, who was a professional musician, took Thynne and her two sisters 'out into the fresh air, to have this love of the countryside, to go brambling, to walk. She gave that to us.' Thynne, similarly, is 'somebody who pushes myself, takes opportunities, takes a risk,' she says. 'I'm obviously prepared to go on trying and doing, [asking] can I do this? And then being surprised that yes, I can.' When she went to her first dance session, it was 'won-der-ful!' she says, singing the word. 'I realised that somebody was teaching me what to do, and there was music playing and I could let go and I felt that joy of my body moving, coming through me.' She progressed to Prime, Dance Base's semi-professional company for over-60s. After that came funding from Luminate, Dance Base, Creative Scotland and Made in Scotland. For These Mechanisms, she has collaborated with the choreographer Robbie Synge. 'It's almost as if I'm having another career.' Along the way, she has learned 'to listen … to find out more about myself, my capabilities. How to put my point of view forward, to be part of a team.' She hopes to tour the show overseas. In the meantime, she keeps fit. 'Each morning, I hang for two or three minutes, take my body weight, then I turn around and hang the other way. Then I do some gentle stretching.' And, of course, she dances. All the time. 'I probably dance if I am going from the fridge to the cooker, taking some dishes,' she says, swirling her hands in the air. 'Isn't that what dance is? You just have to let go and explore it.' These Mechanisms isn't exactly autobiographical, but it 'tells a story of persistence, of joy, of risk', which sounds like Thynne. 'You could do this in your 20s, you could do it in your 80s,' she says. 'It's about the limits of the human body and the desire to make things happen.' These Mechanisms runs until 20 August at DB3 as part of Dance Base's fringe programme, delivered in partnership with Assembly festival Tell us: has your life taken a new direction after the age of 60?
Scotsman
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
18 - 24 August at Edinburgh Fringe 2025: Showcase returns with bold, personal and political performance
Here & Now Here & Now showcase returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year with a programme of bold, personal and political performance created in England, alongside internationally-renowned industry events. See our complete guide. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Here & Now Showcase returns in 2025 with six bold and brilliant tour-ready performances from 18 -24 August. Featuring the best dance, installation, integrated performance, movement and theatre being created in England right now, it takes place in venues including Dance Base, Pleasance, Traverse Theatre and Zoo Venues. This year's showcase will bring 11 artists to the festival which includes 4 public performances in the Fringe, and 2 industry performances, with each artist bringing together and sharing backgrounds, lived experiences and expertise to explore themes of tradition and heritage, revolution and collective deliberation, community building and self discovery. Funded by Arts Council England, the showcase is presented by partner organisations Battersea Arts Centre, FABRIC and GIFT. The public performances in the Fringe include: Here & Now Nowhere by Khalid Abdalla, with Fuel Dates: 12-24 August, Times Vary Venue: Traverse Theatre In this intricate solo show inspired by his involvement in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and the counter-revolution that followed, actor and activist Khalid Abdalla (The Day of the Jackal,The Kite Runner, The Crown) takes audiences on a surprising journey into his own history, set against a cartography of seismic world events. From the histories of colonialism and decolonisation; friendship and loss; protests and uprising against regimes across the world; to the violence in Gaza following the events of 7th October 2023, Khalid brings together the personal and the political in an act of anti-biography that asks how we got here and how we find agency amidst the mazes of history. Here & Now Last Rites by Ad Infinitum Dates: 18-24 August at 3.50pm Venue: Pleasance One at Pleasance Courtyard Travel from the UK to India in Last Rites; a stunning fusion of visual storytelling, electrifying movement, and an immersive soundscape, created by George Mann and Glasgow-based Ramesh Meyyappan. How do you say goodbye when words were never there? Arjun's father never learnt sign languageand now that he's gone, Arjun must find his own way to honour no spoken words, Last Rites features creative captions, Sign Language, and a deep, resonant soundtrack that can be felt and heard. Last Rites is accessible to deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing audiences alike. George Mann describes Last Rites as a powerful, funny, moving, captivating comments:'It's complex, but it's not dark - there are some beautiful, light moments of love and humour and it's ultimately uplifting. It's also visually spectacular - it's a physical and visual feast for the senses. Ramesh Meyyappan added: 'Everyone will relate to this show! It's a show for anyone - the story is so universal, so human.' Here & Now IV by SERAFINE1369 Dates: 19 -24 August at 3.50pm Venue: Assembly@Dance Base IV (4) considers cycles, time, divination and decomposition. A series of tableaux, a speaking clock and the sounds of a breaking storm set the scene, creating a stage for the fleeting meaning that emerges through shifting proximity and changing constellations. The four dancers engage in a detailed, meditative and expansive practice of constant movement, energetic tuning and impossible stillness. Talking about IV, SERAFINE1369 said: 'It will appeal to anyone who enjoys dancing or watching dance, and is intended to be an accessible piece for anyone – the dancing, the spontaneity and the unexpected happenings make for a compelling work, enhanced by the tense rhythm of the clock and the layered soundscore.' Here & Now The Legends of Them by Sutara Gayle AKA Lorna Gee/Hackney Showroom Dates: 19 – 24 August at 5.25pm Venue: Zoo Southside A memory: South London reggae pioneer Sutara Gayle AKA Lorna Gee hears her radio debut from Holloway Prison. Another: She's engulfed in the Brixton uprising sparked by the police shooting of her sister. And now she is here, a silent retreat, seeking spiritual guidance from her brother Mooji and ancestor Nanny of the Maroons, and a moment of transcendence. Powered by high-octane musical numbers and a virtuoso performance, the critically acclaimed, award-winning The Legends of Them is a breathtaking, roof-raising chronicle of Sutara's singular, extraordinary life – and of the legends that have guided her. Industry performances include: Here & Now A CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY by Andy Smith and Lynsey O'Sullivan What more should we be doing about the climate emergency? Be part of the story and join the debate with A CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY, a new work by acclaimed theatre maker Andy Smith, created in collaboration with Lynsey O'Sullivan. Talking about the work, Andy Smith said: 'It tells the story of some people meeting to discuss the climate emergency. The play is written to be performed by the audience and it's an attempt to address a big theme through a collective act of play which has been performed in a variety of venues from schools to city halls, empty shops to studio theatres. As a work, it wants to think about acting in both a theatrical and political sense. If I wanted the audience to take anything away it would be that there are multiple and different perspectives, that there isn't a singular answer, and that there is more chance of things changing if we work together.' Here & Now Sleight of Hand by Jo Bannon Sleight of Hand is a tactile installation for curious fingers and unbelieving eyes. Subverting the format of a touch tour, this sumptuous work invites participants to engage in a series of touch encounters with unknown objects, materials and matter. Integrating audio description, tactile design, choreography and an immersive ASMR soundscape, Sleight of Hand explores what we can discover if people loosen their grip on the known visual world and let senses wander. Additionally, Here & Now will host an industry event platforming previously showcased dance artists from England - Dan Daw Creative Projects, Bullyache and Sung Im Her - who will each pitch new, ambitious, large scale works, while two of last year's award winning Fringe artists, Josie Dale-Jones and Louise Orwin will also join the Here & Now artist cohort to build new international networks for their 2024 hit Fringe shows. Tickets and details
