Matthew Paluch - Page 5

How do mere mortals celebrate their 50th birthday? By having a midlife crisis? Not dance royalty Carlos Acosta, who seems to literally turn back time by making a return to the stage as a dancer - having retired from performing in 2016 - in Carlos at 50 at the Royal Opera House (with five, basically sold out performances), his old stomping ground.

Mercedes de Córdoba's work Sí, quiero (meaning ‘yes, I want’) looks at a group of women creating their own wedding ceremony. And as such occasions normally unfold, we’re promised “peace and passion, hope and madness”. 

Let's talk stereotypes for a moment. Joaquin Cortes definitely changed any fixed narratives about flamenco when he entered the global stage circa 1995, but the general consensus would still be ‘woman in frilly red dress’ I imagine.

Sadler’s Wells' Flamenco Festival really is a festival. As in the programme includes a wide range of approaches and possibilities when dealing with the genre. It makes the relevance of flamenco in 2023 something to ponder - as there's clearly an interest, and different generations of creatives very much involved with the ongoing dialogue. 

The Company of Elders' Saturday matinee performance at Sadler's Wells finished with a nightclub atmosphere. It saw the cast of the last piece coming into the auditorium and inviting the audience members onto the stage to dance the afternoon away. 

Interdisciplinary is a bittersweet word/theory, and when I come across it, I'm equally filled with both anticipation and foreboding. The former as when it works it's hard to beat, the latter as when it doesn't, the night can be an awkward one. And in this spirit, I'm afraid Saving Face by Si Rawlinson is an adventurous, multifaceted piece that hasn't quite found its feet. 

Some nights at the theatre are just special. And 3 June at Sadler's Wells for National Youth Dance Company (NYDC) performing Wayne McGregor's Novacene was definitely one of those nights. 

A satisfying mix of historical, modern and zeitgeist repertoire for graduate students to get their teeth into.

The prospect of a choreographic platform or festival is always exciting. DanceWest Fest at Hammersmith's Lyric saw the first outing of the rebranded Ignition Dance Festival. The night was hosting four dance makers, all presenting new work (or nearly) for an energised audience.

Impermanence Dance Theatre had quite the ride for their opening night (in London) of Venus: a quadruple bill of new work at the Wilton's Music Hall.

Elmhurst Ballet Company, the graduate year students of Elmhurst Ballet School opened their 2023 performance Legacy at the Lilian BaylisTheatre, Sadler's Wells on 14 May. The student company will also be performing the programme at the Elmhurst Studio Theatre(Birmingham) 19-20 May.

What did our critic think of GÖTEBORGSOPERANS DANSKOMPANI at Sadler's Wells?

Vortices and abstract expressionism: easy-breezy inspo for the Russell Maliphant Dance Company (RMDC) then. But definitely not a problem for me. I’ll take experimental over formulaic any day. And this isn't a new trend for the RMDC, as they’ve been taking a similar approach since their 1996 inception. But does experimentation guarantee success? I’d hope it’s more about discovery…and that as we know, can go either way. So fasten your seatbelts!

That uncomfortable feeling when you really want something to be good and it just isn't. That's how the opening night of A Festival Of Korean Dance 2023 (its sixth year) at The Place felt.

I envied the dancers at certain points, repeatedly thinking 'what a mega gig' - getting to work in a troupe of ten and experiencing new commissions as a company. Their commitment levels suggest they aren't taking the opportunity for granted, and that kind of awareness only gives good things. I'm looking forward to the next London tour.

Opening nights tend to be special. So what’s ‘A Gala Celebration’ opening night at the Royal Opera House going to feel like? Spontaneous combustion?! Perhaps from the ticket prices…