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CIRCA Emotionally-charged circus

It’s circus, but not as we know it. Australian company, Circa takes the jaw- dropping, spine-bending moves every good acrobatic outfit should have then injects them with something special. Although as far as Circa’s artistic director, Yaron Lifschitz is concerned, that special ingredient was never missing. ‘Our starting point is that everything is already there,’ he says. ‘A tumble already has all the elements of artistic expression inside it we just need to pull it apart. It’s as though we have a great big palette of moves that don’t come from real life they’re just obscure things that circus people do. And for us it’s like being a painter and discovering a whole new set of colours that nobody else has. So we get to paint really beautiful, interesting and strange things out of that.’

Claiming to have been ‘born without the narrative enzyme’, Lifschitz and his company create works that are purely abstract. But while there’s no story, emotion is still high on the agenda. ‘Our work tends to be quite intense and very really emotionally driven with a lot of vulnerability and passion,’ he says. ‘I think of it as being like a great album it’s not a story but there’s a lot going on. And I think we’re one of the few circus shows where people say they cried during it.’ (Kelly Apter) Assembly @ Assembly Hall, 8–31 Aug (not 10, 17 & 24), 4.30pm, £14.50–£16 (£13–£15). Previews 6 & 7 Aug, £5.

THE RED ROOM 19th century decadence and decay

For years, the Traverse has been synonymous with ground-breaking, innovative theatre. And while it regularly shows dance throughout the year, when it comes to the Fringe, it’s drama all the way. Until now. When the David Hughes Dance Company delivers its acclaimed take on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, it will be making history. ‘This is the first time that dance has

been performed at the Traverse during the Fringe,’ says Hughes. ‘We were up against about 5,000 applicants who wanted to be part of their programme so the pressure’s on!’

Poe’s 19th century short story

centres on Prince Prospero and his friends, who cavort merrily in his abbey while a deadly plague ravages the outside world. Helping Hughes create this atmospheric piece is physical theatre director, Al Seed and a cast of dancers who specialise in contemporary dance, Indian classical and breakdance; a melting pot of styles that Hughes has enjoyed mixing. ‘It’s about the dancers keeping their

own identities and being honest to their own disciplines,’ he says. ‘But also trying to embrace another discipline and come together as a company. It’s a fine balance and an exciting challenge.’ (Kelly Apter) Traverse Theatre, 228 1404, 9–16 Aug (not 10), times vary, £16–£18 (£5–£12). Preview 8 Aug, 9pm, £11 (£5).

KATAKLO ATHLETIC DANCE THEATRE’S LOVE MACHINES Art-inspired precision

Festival Dance

the study of man man as a live machine in motion.’

Love Machines tells the amusing

story of two daring yet clumsy explorers, who discover a mysterious land inhabited by human/machine hybrids that live life on an angle. For the performers, this meant weeks of rehearsal learning to dance with strength and precision, without the benefit of a flat surface. ‘It has been a very hard task with

concentrated attention,’ confirms Staccioli. ‘We had to develop a completely new vocabulary before working on the actions and the dancers could never afford even a moment’s distraction, because they were always on the verge of instability.’ (Kelly Apter) Assembly @ George Street, 623 3030, 8–31 Aug (not 17, 24), 5.05pm, £13–£16 (£12–£14). Previews 6&7 Aug, £5.

100 WOUNDED TEARS Powerful Czech dance theatre

One of the most moving pieces of dance on last year’s Fringe came from young Czech company Dot 504. Holdin’ Fast was a beautiful investigation of the mathematics of human relationships, and was one of the biggest successes at Zoo Venue. The dazed, eroticised physical work of the young cast, combined with some very simple visual effects and a few cheeky spoken word sections, made the piece quite unlike anything else around. This year Dot is back with 100

Wounded Tears, choreographed again by Jozef Frucek and Linda Kapetanea, and featuring the same brilliant young dancers. ‘We are so excited about coming back Zoo actually asked us personally,’ says company director, Denisa Asensio. ‘In terms of dance expression, there will be the same quality of dancers, but this time around we’ve edited more theatrical forms into the performance. We’re trying to push the boundaries of dance and physical theatre even more.’ 100 Wounded Tears tells the story of seven characters soliciting the devil in search of their dreams. In an interesting commitment to verbal performance, Oscar-nominated Slovak actor, Csongor Kassai has joined the cast. Personally, I can’t wait. (Kirstin Innes) Zoo Southside, 662 6892, 9–15 Aug, 6.20pm, £10 (£8). Previews 7 & 8 Aug, £8.

Online Booking Fringe www.edfringe.com International Festival www.eif.co.uk Book Festival www.edbookfest.co.uk Art Festival www.edinburghartfestival.org

6–13 Aug 2009 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 37

The eponymous item of furniture has obvious connotations of capital punishment, and according to Towndrow they’ll be exploiting that and other references within their piece, the central theme of which is memory and forgiveness. ‘The chair is used as a metaphor for death,’ he explains. ‘But it’s also used within the family home as well as inside a prison.’ (Kirstin Innes) The Zoo, 662 6892, 9–31 Aug, 6.35pm, £10 (£7). Previews 7–8 Aug, £7.

TAP KIDS High school hoofing

Long before Troy and Gabriella took the world by storm in High School Musical, dancer and choreographer, Lisa Hopkins was putting together her own show about the teen years. Starting life as a tap dance workshop in upstate New York, Tap Kids soon blossomed into a fully fledged production. ‘We’re probably the most respected

professional tap show in America at the moment,’ says Hopkins proudly and well she might. Performed by an enthusiastic troupe of 18-21-year-olds, the show has toured America and beyond, always to appreciative audiences. Set in a high school, Tap

Kids mixes incredible tap dancing with original music, and captures everyday moments such as lunchtime and detention and pivotal events like falling in love and graduation. Given that everybody knows what

it’s like to go to school whether you’re still there or it’s just a distant memory the show’s appeal is multi- generational. ‘Anybody who’s into dance is going to be blown away by the dancing,’ says Hopkins. ‘Young people will fall in love with it because the dancers are so cutting edge and cool and parents will think they’re amazing role models because they’re so positive. They really cross the cultural barrier.’ (Kelly Apter) New Town Theatre, 0844 477 1000, 7–30 Aug (not 17), 5.45pm, £11–£12 (£9–£10). Previews 5&6 Aug, £7.50.

Nearly five hundred years after his death, the creative genius of Leonardo da Vinci continues to exert influence. Most recently on Italian company, Kataklo, who blend athletic physical dexterity with an appreciation of art. ‘I’ve always had a great passion for Leonardo,’ says the company’s artistic director, Guilia Staccioli. ‘His ideas, his way of looking for new experiences, his infinite thirst for knowledge and his incredibly innovative, curious mind. At the centre of his search was always