Aki (Dense) - La Ligne entre la Torre et la Mer Japan lz‘xperienee. Garage ('hapiteau. until 27Aug. 7. 30pm. A quietly fascinating blend of ballet. contemporary. gymnastics and performance art. Three stars in The Seots/nan.
Ballet Who?! ... Gilt/ed Balloon at 'Ieviot. until 27 Aug. [0.15pm. See comedy. Blue/Moon . Laura Hope Sleek/er. Garage ( ‘hapiteau. until 26 Aug. 6pm. Although the ostensible subjects of Laura Hope Steckler's two dance pieces are her mother's tnarriage and death. her efforts smack of onanistic self-regard. She dons a wedding shroud in Blue. an earnest. uneasy mix of text and the music of (iorecki played at too high a volume. Moon finds her lolling about on a big opaque plastic hall to Miles Davis and chimes. There are a couple of decent movement ideas and some kaleidoscopically pretty images thanks to John .‘vcheoch‘s film footage backdrop. but the between-dances lilm clip is excruciatingly coy. (Donald llutera) Camut Band - Life is Rhythm George Square Theatre. until 26 Aug. 8.40pm. African music and dance ensemble return with last year‘s acclaimed programme of dance and physical theatre.
Court’s: In the Mud, Michelle Man’s: Y Gilt/ed Balloon at Ti'i'iirt Row House. until 26 Aug. 3.15pm. A delicate solo from British-born but Madrid-based dancer/chiireographer Michelle Man. Followed by a dance/performance art hybrid from Philadelphia’s (.‘ourt. featuring much flinging of food and writhing on the ground. Dance Workshops lxtlitttt Ara/risque. Why Not .Vighteluh. until 26 Aug. 2.15pm. Iigyptian belly-dance. salsa and merengue. Dancescapes II (‘m'i-ersi‘iy- a/‘.\’ei-aita. [as legas. The Garage. until 27Aug. lprn. New work from this dance faculty who fuse ballet. contemporary and jazz dance. Echoes Of Egypt The Garage. until 27 Aug. [0.15pm. lidinburgh trio trace ligyptian dance back to its earliest days.
Edinburgh Mela l’ilrig Park. I A'- 2 Sep. This year's annual celebration of Asian culture features some fantastic Indian dance. Prathibha Prahlad demonstrates Bharatanatyam dance on Sat 1 at 4pm while renowned Kathak dancer Archana .laoglekar. and ()dissi dancer Jhelum Paranjape perform at 2.45pm on Sat and 12.30pm on Sun.
Em Lugar Algum oo ('mm'nenial Shifts at St Bria'e's (‘entria until 25 Aug. 4pm. Staged by Beth Lopes for Brazil's lim
intended btit not particularly illuminating behaviour-based physical theatre rendition of the writings of famous neurologist ()liver (Awakenings) Sacks. Speaking in a smattering of languages. a cast of five occupies a characterless white asylum - a human zoo. as one of them damns it. They feign states of spastic illness until a new drug. neatly symbolised by sweets flung in the air. temporarily liberates them into bright-clothed ecstasy. The performance‘s controlled hysteria is hard-going. if sincere. and spotted with fleeting moments of theatrical inspiration. (Donald llutera) Gay Samurai Review - J Boys
. Japan Ifx‘perienee. Tlte Garage. until 27Aug. 9.30pm. Tacky. exploitative show. whose live grimacing performers feel like the sad. circus animals of old. Joe in Winter 0000 t'm't-ers-i'tv- of Nevada. Las" legas. The Garage. until 27 Aug. 3.45pm. Kavouras is a beautiful. expressive performer. capturing with real insight the pain and dislocation at the end of a love affair.
Journeys and Memories oooo Theatre ( 'rjvptie. Komeilia St Stephens. until 26 Aug. [JO/mt. Picture yourself strapped to the front of a train as it thunders along the track. The screech of metal fills your ears as you fly past a blur of stations. Well. for the first twenty minutes of this evocative production. that's your viewpoint. projected onto a large backscreen. Written words creep onto the tracks as the voices in Steve Reich‘s Different Trains describe travelling like cattle to a Nazi concentration catnp. The wonderful Kuotet string quartet play along. pushing aside their sheet tnusic and wandering around the stage as the piece progresses into [stvan Marta's heartwrenching Doom A Sigh. The choreography becomes much more structured as dancer ('lare l’encak floats onto the stage. breathing new life into Allegri‘s .Iliserere. Powerful. emotive and completely tmclassiliable. (Kelly Apter) Katsura Kan and Saltinbanques in Curious Fish Japan livperienee. The Garage. until 27Aug. 9pm. Butoh dance in its original form.
The Kosh in “twentieth Century GITIS ... (ii/(led Balloon (1! Ti'i‘io!
Row. tutti! 27 Aug. 1.30pm. Physical theatre company. The Kosh focus on the friendship
between two girls. from their teenage years in the l9-1()s up to the present day. Ladyboys of Bangkok The .«tteaitmi-s Theatre Big Top. until 2.5 Aug. 7pm :5- 9.15pm. Five stars in The List last year. for those who like their cross-dressing flamboyant.
Latino Arabesque. Why Not Nightclub. until 26 Aug. I pm & 5pm. A hot mix of belly-dance and salsa. performed by Iidinburghers Lorna (iow. Fiona Blair and Sam (ianon.
Medusa - Life Without Snake Japan Iix'perienee. The Garage. until 27 Aug. [2.45pm. Exploration of the Medusa myth. performed through the Japanese dance form of Butoh.
0 Metapolis - project 972 ('harleroi Danses l’lan K ('ontpany; Playhouse. 24-26 Aug. 8an Multimedia extravaganza from this Belgian company. See feature.
0 New York City Ballet: The Diamond Project Playhouse. 28 Aug—l Sep. 7. 30pm (Fri 61' Sat mats 2.30pm). The New Yorkers are back in town. See preview on previous page. Odissi - Classical Indian Hindu Temple Dances Shakti. The Garage. until 27 Aug. noon. Fringe stalwart Shakti breathes life into the carvings on temple walls in this sensuous dance performance. OMSK The Bongo ('luh. tutti! 2.? Aug. 8.15pm. Site-specific work frotn these London-based performance artists. focusing on personal horror. failure. noise and confession.
Pandemonium oooo Lelavision. Quaker Meeting House. until 25 Aug. 6,30an In Lelavision's unique show. sailors speak bagpipe. the ship is an organ. the rocks sing and the shells have legs. Pigs .. Hull Truek Theatre (0.. (‘ Belle Ange/e. until 26 Aug. 12.45pm. Four besuited female performers pound the stage to everything from hard house to Shirley Bassey. inhabiting the world of the male football hooligan.
OThe Pillow Book 0000 Shakti. Garage (‘hapiteaie until 27 Aug. 9pm. The inimitable Japanese dancer Shakti is back with this celebration of women's sexuality. interpreted from the ancient Japanese text. A spell-binding and breath- taking performance.
Plano B ... ('ia Linhas Aereas/('ultura Ingles'a. ('ontinental Shifts at St Bride 's ('entre. until 25 Aug. 12.30pm. Brazil's (‘ompanhia Linhas Aereas uses circus/dance skills to inhabit a dramatic poem by Fernando Pessoa. The
(‘ompanhia de listranhos. this is a well- setting a kind of aerie-like purgatory- Shinla ... Kaorueo. Gateway
Theatre. until 27 Aug. 3pm. Kaoruco is touted as a major choreographic force in her native Japan. On the evidence of this pumped-up piece of ceremonial dance- theatre. subtitled ‘The Wind Blowing Across the Universe'. her forte is Las Vegassy fusion spectacle not surprising. given the amount of [)op videos on her extensive CV.
The time is ancient Japan‘s provincial wars. Characters include a contemporary writer (Kaoruco herself. taking a back seat in the drama) and a handful of her inventions: a young warrior and his sister. a fierce samurai. and a trio of symbolic entities including a sword (remarkable Kaiji Moriyami). The seven-strong cast whip through an impressive variety of movement styles. from martial arts and acrobatics (with just a touch of street) to mask work and contemporary dance. There is also an effective Use of human Bunraku puppetry and a swinuningly precise gestural language said to be derived from Buddhism.
This ambitious. hour-long production is physically far too busy to ever be boring. but I was rarely touched by or involved with an often incoherent storyline. The ultimate Zen-based point — that everyone and everything is bound by the same creative forces — eluded me. For all that. the company's extraordinary fitness and facility merits boundless admiration.
(Donald liutera)
26 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 71% Aug; ii 80:) 900‘.
prison in bridal white ~ is striking. Speaking in a mix of Portuguese and English. three physically expressive women play madcap maidens who‘ve secreted a pubescent girl‘s corpse in their cupboard. The result is a theatrical oddity that is dreamy and timeless on the one hand. and airlesst self-conscious on the other. Some of the images — all four cast members spinning on a circular ring. and a bodies-suspended-iii-space finale — could prove to be unforgettable. (Donald llutera) The Russian Cossack State Dance Ensemble. George Square Theatre. until 26 Aug. 1 . I 0an The Military Tattoo organisers pass these stunning Russian performers over to George Square. fora lunchtime helping of sword and (‘ossack dancing.
Shinla ... Kaorueo. Gateway Theatre. until 27 Aug. 3pm. See review panel
Some Day . . . ooo Ametza Theatre. Hill Street Theatre. until 27 Aug. 10.20pm. Satirised fairytales shown through ballet. acrobatics and contemporary dance. Punchy and comical but unfortunately a paltry 30 minutes long. The Spice in Salsa oooo
('utumha — ('uha. Gateway Theatre. until 27 Aug. 9.45pm. Ten dancers and nine musicians delve into the history of Afro- (‘uban music and dance in this spectacular show.
Taming the Dragon 00 Shakti. The Garage. until 27 Aug, 6.30pm. This dance-music collaboration between patently talented performers could use more time in the creative oven. Shakti is a fireball of feral energy clad in revealing kitsch. Ron Korb attempts to soothe her savage beast by artfully playing live an array of flutes (including Cambodia’s smoky-timbered pay pook.) backed by karaoke-style pre-recorded orchestrations. But his mix of Asian. Celtic. Latin and Native American sounds never quite gels with her shame-free writhings. and the brief use of masks is pretty dumb. Still. they‘re an amiable team. On the rainy opening night. Shakti had the show biz nous to make the most of the venue‘s dripping ceiling. (Donald l-lutera) Uncertain Memories Japan I:‘.t‘/u'i'ierii‘e. The Garage. tutti] 27 Aug. 3pm. Young choreographer Mana lost her eyesight two years ago. but continues to explore her emotions through dance. with the aid of dancer friend. Takako.
Urban Fleur Anteriean Danee Art. C'. until 26 Aug. 10.30am. Solo pieces and duets exploring female relationships. OWithin Outer Spaces 000. ('apaeitor: ('. until 26 Aug. 8.30pm. A fantastic blend of modern dance. circus skills and martial arts from this San Franciscan company. who spin on ropes and dance with their heads on fire.
The Woman who Fell from the Sky Medieine Wheel Dance Project. The Garage. until 27 Aug. 4.45pm. Poetry- inspired Btitoh from seasoned American dancer/choreographer.
Worm-Hole ... Niki th‘C‘I'ettoIt. (' Venue. until 26 Aug. 2.20pm. A young woman embarks on an intense mental journey into a world devoid of any real human connection.
OYumiko Izuta in Relief 0000 Japan livperienee. The Garage. until 27 Aug. [2.15pm. Last year. whilst suffering from a crippling back condition. lzuta gave a 15-minute performance sat in a chair. Using only her face. arms and hands she created a wonderfully expressive work. This year. her back much improved (but still very sensitive) she‘s up and out of the chair. stirring up a whirlwind of emotion inspired both by her own physical problems and the long. painful death of her mother. Sat in her chair. dressed in a white silk gown with birdsong overhead. lzuta is the picture of serenity. But as her mood shifts. a red glow consumes the stage and she flies into a torrent of anguished movement before easing back into her trademark intricate linger work. Powerful stuff. (Kelly Apter)