Dance / best of bristol
Best of Bristol 2018: Dance
Session, The Station
Dance and theatre programmers Still House brought Tottenham community dance company Steppaz to The Station for three nights in August (pictured above and top). “They are serious and talented artists, and their infectious dance made me want to get on stage with them,” said our reviewer of this “battle cry and love song, celebrating community, youth and belonging”.
is needed now More than ever
Skin, 1532 Performing Arts Centre
Pic: Christopher Nash
Looking in at Bristol Grammar School’s plush 1532 Performing Arts Centre, 201 Dance Company’s Skin explored a powerful story of gender transition through urban dance. “A superb example of the power of contemporary hip hop,” enthused our review.
Collabo, Circomedia
This show introduced a new era of collaboration between Bristol’s Circomedia and Avant Garde Dance, whose founder Tony Adigun had chosen unlikely pairings of dance talent to come together to create new dance hybrids. Ten hip hop/contemporary performances spanned three categories – Collaborations, Interpretations and Special Guests. RISE Youth Dance (see also below), Ella Mesma, Sara Dos Santos and Jukebox Academy were among the talents on view. “What a night,” we said. “If this showcase is a sign of things to come from the collaboration between Circomedia and Avant Garde Dance, we cannot wait to see what’s next.”
Ballet Black, Bristol Old Vic
Pic: Bill Cooper
May’s Bristol Old Vic double bill from the hugely talented Ballet Black was a showcase of great choreography and a treat for ballet fans. Two narrative ballets of differing styles were offered up by this tiny company, with just seven dancers on the Old Vic stage. “The Old Vic audience gave the show a standing ovation, no doubt as much for the wit of the choreography as for the polished performances,” noted our review.
Ten Years of RISE Youth Dance
Not a show as such, but this unquestionably ranks as one of the big milestones of Bristol’s dance year. 2018 marked the tenth anniversary of RISE Youth Dance, a Bristol outfit providing training, access and progression for the city’s young dancers aged eight to 19. It’s likely that you’ve caught them at St Paul’s Carnival or the dance village at the Harbour Festival.
https://vimeo.com/281358261
Recognised nationally as an excellent training ground for young dancers, they have been selected for the national youth dance festival U.Dance three times. See our tribute to RISE, along with clips of various appearances in Bristol and beyond, here.
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