Catherine Bennett resumes the weekly look at the performing arts world, with the sad end of Jerusalem, the luck of a cabbie, and French revolt. Do you hear the people sing?
Adam Alcock reviews Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and his own Four Elements at York Opera House.
Catherine Bennett highlights the trends in the performing arts world today.
Jonathan Cridford reviews 'Ghosts', one of the Freshers' plays for this year.
Sitting down in Central Hall for Saturday night’s Dance Showcase, audience members were greeted by a festively lit stage, furnished only by a wooden bench; a set piece for the night’s first performance of jazz. Featuring an eclectic mix including backpackers, schoolgirls and a lollypop lady, the opening dance got the audience clapping to “walking on sunshine”, and set the bar for the talent that was to follow.
After a feisty bit of cha cha and salsa, BalletSoc took to the stage to deliver a beautiful, flowing performance set to ‘Defying Gravity’, brought to life by graceful and elegant choreography. Following a delightful waltz, Street took to the stage to perform an amazing, fast-paced futuristic dance, donning silver war paint and raggedy clothes to bring their dance to life. The jive from York Dancesport, performed to ‘Fever’, certainly heated up Central Hall; the couples and choreographers must be congratulated for the big swing-lifts and constant energy throughout the dance. The beautiful contemporary dance set to ‘Metamorphosis Two’ provided a sombre moment, seemingly representing the cycle of life (although interpretation is open). Tap brought the cool to the showcase, featuring bowler hats and the finger-snapping tune of ‘Mack the Knife’.
The standout performance must go to the last dance by Durham Street, for their fantastic prison-escape routine. The choreography by Chantelle Nyarko and Ray Wade really showed off just how tight the routine was, especially during the moment when all the dancers seemingly moved as one – a giant dancing robot of sorts. The finale featured everyone on stage dancing to ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’, and as the hundreds of Santa hats on stage bopped up and down, the audience happily clapped along to finish off the 50 minute showcase.
Ultimately, the Dance Showcase can be summed up as what it was supposed to be – fun. The non-audition process inevitably meant that dancers ranged in ability, but overall the standard was extremely high. It was clear that everyone involved has worked incredibly hard, and they can rest easy knowing that their efforts definitely paid off on Saturday night. The showcase was an excellent opportunity to fully appreciate the range of dance offered at York, and a chance to see just how talented and fun-loving our dancers are outside of other events such as Fusion and the big musicals. DanceSoc’s motto, “making you look good on the dance floor”, certainly was true to form on Saturday night, and hopefully those of you who missed it will be first in line for the next one!
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