Pick of the Festival – DANCE
This May there is some truly groundbreaking, exciting, world-class dance coming to Brighton. Here’s our pick of the best of the Fringe and Festival:
At The Spire, East Brighton:
From the Netherlands, I’d Had Enough So I Killed Him is a dance and physical theatre solo by Sherise Strang inspired by the life of Maya Angelou (Thu 30 May 6pm | Fri 31 May, 6.30pm | Sat 1 Jun, 9.30pm); experimental vocal trio King Sisters bring their Amsterdam Fringe Award-winning show Song of the Sisters, portraying a universal family dynamic through song and storytelling (Thu 30 May, 7.30pm | Fri 31 May, 5pm | Sat 1 June, 5pm | Sun 2 June, 4pm). Finally choreographic collective NEON offers a sci-fi reimagining of the book of Genesis through dance and physical theatre in their Amsterdam Fringe Award-winning show, Körper (Body) (Fri 31 May, 9.30pm | Sat 1 Jun, 8pm | Sun 2 Jun, 7pm ). Running alongside each of these shows are workshops in dance, singing and physical theatre.
From South Africa, Sullied is a powerful show that won of the Gold Ovation Award at the National Arts Festival South Africa 2018. Deconstructing the politics around our bodies, Kristi-Leigh Gresse dives into the world of rape culture, sexuality, gender, race polarisation and religion. (Thu 30 May, 9pm | Fri 31 May, 8pm | Sat 1 Jun, 6.30pm | Sun 2 Jun, 8.30pm )
Tickets for all Spire Fringe shows can be found at: https://thespirearts.org/events/
At The Old Market, Hove, you can enjoy a smorgasbord of delights from the Nordic Fringe Season. Our tips:
From Boaz Barkan / WILDTOPIA May I Speak About Dance . A dancer dances, while another explains, in this quirky performance-lecture about the problems of dance and meaning… Tongue firmly in cheek, Boaz Barkan’s performance involves you as a guest in an irreverent and witty exploration of what dance is and can be, how it is experienced, and particularly how it can be discussed. For all of us who find dance and performance tedious at times, or are feeling a little jaded, this is a chance to refresh your critical palate. (★★★★★ British Theatre Guide)
Tue 14 – Wed 15 May, 8.45pm http://theoldmarket.com/shows/may-speak-dance/
From dance artist Rebecka Pershagen: The First and Last Dance
A woman is sitting on a chair, motionless. You can see that she is waiting for someone…
She is waiting for her beloved to come back, and to dance the very last dance with her. No more words are
needed. After the dance is over, they will never see each other again…
Created through an interest for the energies in strangers meeting and movement in public spaces, The First
and Last Dance is an award-winning long duration performance from artist Rebecka Pershagen.
The First and Last Dance
Date & Time: Tue 14 May, from 6.15pm
Tickets: Free, non-ticketed
http://theoldmarket.com/shows/first-last-dance/
Anna Fält & Pia Pohjakallio Duo
¡RÅ!
A journey through women’s lives – put together in a intricate, at times meditative, minimalistic setting.
The ancient song lyrics tell the stories of women past and present. Who were these everyday heroes? And who
maybe didn’t deserve their place amongst others? Told through blending traditional Finnish song with
Flamenco dance, this performance has been performed in theatres, clubs and festivals around Sweden and
Finland ahead of it coming to Brighton.
¡RÅ!
Date & Time: Sat 18 May, 4.30pm
Tickets: Free, pay what you think it’s worth
http://theoldmarket.com/shows/ra/
And, from Brighton Festival, curated by the wondrous Malian artist Rokia Traore: although it’s sold out, returns may be available for the marvellous Foundation Passerelle’s
Malian Dance Night
Since Rokia Traoré’s Foundation Passerelle took its first steps in 2009, it has been nurturing and
exploring the creativity and artists of Mali – building partnerships throughout Europe to ensure the
wider world can experience the vibrant creativity of Mali’s young artists and hear their stories first hand.
Join them for this special presentation of three new dance pieces by Mali’s next generation of extraordinary
choreographers. Fatoumata Bagayoko, Bazoumana Kouyate and Daouda Keita are joined by Modibo Konate
and Adiara Traoré for an evening of dance you will not want to miss.
http://theoldmarket.com/shows/malian-dance-night/
And at The Dome:
TrapTown
Using a variety of artforms – dance, film, spoken word and an original musical score, Wim Vandekeybus creates a complex and sensational multimedia alternative reality that moves audiences from catharsis to euphoria. https://brightonfestival.org/event/17508/traptown/
Tijmur Dance Theatre brings you moving performance from Taiwan in Varhung: Heart to Heart. Ancient Taiwanese cultural traditions are brought up to date by one of the Pacific island’s premier indigenous dance-theatre companies. Tjimur presents a richly patterned, open-hearted performance that shows how the Paiwan people, not used to discussing private feelings, use artforms to bring them to the surface.
Working in close collaboration with the company’s founding artistic director Ljuzem Madiljin, in-house choreographer (and sibling) Baru Madiljin work with dynamic dancers to show how even a simple task such as weaving can lay bare your deepest emotions. https://brightonfestival.org/event/17514/varhung_heart_to_heart/
Pay-what-you-can tickets are available for the hugely life-affirming Session, a ‘dance-party’ using young dancers on the beach near the I360: in this explosive outdoor gathering, Bristol based performance company Still House joins forces with the Tottenham-based Steppaz Performing Arts Academy and north London’s music production powerhouse Empire Sounds to create a high-energy night of dance and live music. Part gig, part social and part dance party, the show is led by an ensemble of young dancers who move across hip hop, contemporary folk and Afrobeats, celebrating community, youth and belonging. https://brightonfestival.org/event/17481/session/
