Set over the course of a weekend, The Regional U Dance festival incorporates workshops, masterclasses, presentations and activities for aspiring dancers from all over the North West. One Dance UK, in partnership with NorthWestDance and The Lowry have presented and hosted this yearly event for several years, and indeed this was the 7th time I have had the pleasure and privilege of being able to cover the two public shows on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
This time 24 teams of dancers were chosen to present their work over the course of two evening shows open to the public. In previous years there has also been a pre-show audience presentation too by junior (under 11 year old) groups but sadly, this did not happen this year.
This year the vast majority of the dances on stage for both evenings were contemporary ballet / dance, despite U.Dance's ethos of being all-encompassing and treating all styles of dance equally. With there being so many pieces from different schools / academies, I simply cannot mention them all! Therefore I ask you, dear reader, to allow me some subjectivity in this review, whilst I mention those dances which, for me at least, I found the most satisfying. I am unaware of the criteria upon which these dances are judged by the region and national panels; however, I can tell you my own criteria. First and foremost I am looking for a whole presentation - a piece of choreography which is also a stand-alone piece of theatre. Lighting, SFX, set (if used), costumes, make-up and chosen music all cohere and compliment each other, and thought has gone into the overall 'look' and 'feel' of the piece, especially if there is a narrative drive within it. The choreography should be exciting and varied, with good use of space, levels, and techniques / moves, but should always be within the comfort zone of the dancers being tasked in performing them. And finally, I watch the dancers' faces to see if they are acting or just simply dancing.
On SATURDAY we started with Chameleon Youth Juniors performing "It's Our Turn To Talk". It started slowly and sedately with a balletic twist before becoming more funky and upbeat. The co-ordination and togetherness was well observed and I liked the good use of and understanding of space. The company themselves devising the theme and narrative drive of the piece, asking us to stop and listen to what the modern youths have to say about our planet and how we run it... this piece is a protest, a rebellion, so listen to us! This was followed by LastAct Studios and their piece, 'The Last Dance'. With some lovely 'pictures' this was a very fluid and nicely choreographed piece which excellently matched the lyrics of the chosen song. The third piece was something new to U.Dance. At least I have not seen this before, but this was a solo performance by student dancer Emily Wild. Her contemporary routine was professional and highly stylistic, combining jagged robotic movements with fluid, liquid ballet. The first half ended with LIPA Sixth Form College's performance of 'Echo Of Yesterday'. Again this was contemporary dance, but the choreography here reminded me and was perhaps influenced by renowned American choreographer Alvin Ailey. This was a happy, external dance-for-dances-sake piece which was superbly choreographed and danced. A lovely end to the first half.
In the second half my favourites included Infinity Dance And Theatre School's 'The Threshold Of Falling'. This was a contemporary ballet nicely costumed and intelligently realised. Oldham College's Tenfold Dance Theatre's 'If Money Were No Object'; another contemporary piece but using just 7 dancers with good lifts and balancing, the told their story internalising their narrative with ease. Fusion Dance Company's 'Game Of Survival' also impressed with their use of lifts, pictures, and theme. Once again the narrative drive of the piece nicely matching the lyrics and the aim of the dance.
On SUNDAY we sadly had a little accident on stage as one of the dancers in the second piece (Swati Youth Dance) injured herself whilst on stage and so the running of the rest of the programme was delayed significantly. We waited in the foyer patiently for the all-clear, but sadly by the time the actual end of the first half came around, I was unable to stay to watch the second half, since public transport - especially the last train on a Sunday evening - don't tend to wait for their passengers! I therefore can only comment on the first 6 acts on this day, apologies. We started with a lovely piece by Creo Dance Theatre from Liverpool. Costuming, choreography, narrative drive, and especially here the LX design (including Haze) had been superbly thought through. However, amongst those six were my two favourite routines from all I was able to watch both days. One was Elysium Dance Company's 'Mother Of Dragons'. Again the LX design and use of haze was superb, which only added to the spectacle. The choreography, choreographic ideas, costumes and make-up all made for a holistic performance and was pure theatre. Whilst the first half ended with Woodhey High School's 'Pave The Way'. Again the costuming (this time black leotards and white pants) creates the mood, with excellent choreography, great use of space, dynamics well observed, and the lifts and pictures performed with panache. A lovely ending to the first half. Excellent. A real shame I was not able to stay longer and enjoy the final 7 dances. Truly sorry and can only hope the poor girl who fell at the end of their dance routine was not too badly injured and is now back on her feet again.
Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu
on - 5/6. 4.25
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