THEATRE
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TDANCE FESTIVAL New Moves: Kultyer
Dance Theatre Glasgow: Gilmorehill Centre until Sat 20 Mar.
A ticket for Glasgow’s New Moves festival is a ticket for the Damien Hirsts of the dance world. But despite its Scottish address, this barometer of international dance trends has given short shrift to local acts. According to artistic director Nikki Milican, we simply haven’t come up with the choreographic goodies. Until now that is.
Glasgow-based street/contemporary dance fusion artists Kultyer Dance Theatre, are one of three acts forming the strongest Scottish programme seen in eleven years of New Moves. Their latest work Nahni, choreographed by Paul Joseph and featuring company members Pauline Joseph and Fuschia Peters plus four
Canadian guest dancers, will premiere alongside fresh choreography from Glasgow
stalwarts Anatomy and new face Iona Kewney.
Pauline Joseph believes the talent and variety has always been there,
Scottish City Dancing: New Moves
but that recent years have seen an environmental change. ’We live in Glasgow and can live on dancing,’ says Pauline Joseph of herself and husband Paul. 'We
don’t have to take another job or sign on. A couple of
years ago Paul had to take work London. Now he doesn’t have to.’
As trained contemporary dancers with a bass-line interest in street dance (Paul is an original linoleum and ghetto-blaster London boy, Glaswegian Pauline learnt her moves from the telly), Kultyer have a more instantly saleable product than their artier brothers and sisters. But New Moves input, they say, has been invaluable. Nahni was hothoused during the company's second visit to Ottawa’s La. Groupe dance lab as part of the New
trip enabled Kultyer to take on the extra dancers, tour previous work Paperback and even teach street dance to intrigued Canadians.
The resulting piece places five female dancers in a domestic world that men (represented on film) are desperate to break into. 'Paul has choreographed it with the idea that women are very much in charge of themselves,’ says Pauline of the multi-talented dancer and secret bedroom DJ who has even mixed his own soundtrack.
Otherwise the usual influences will permeate, but don't hang out for any gangsta moves. ’Nahni has certainly got a street dance flavour,’ says Pauline, 'but it’s disguised well. There will be no spinning on heads.’
Moves International Choreographic Core scheme. The
: Fierce creatures: Espana Se Mueve
(Ellie Carr)
DANCE FESTIVAL New Moves: Espafia Se
Mueve
Glasgow: Gilmorehill Centre, until Sat
20 Mar.
Just as we Brits are getting fired up on flamenco, those pesky Spaniards have to go and re-invent themselves. Currently sweeping in on the back of stars like Naomi Campbell’s ex-snog JoaQUim Cortes, 'new flamenco' is ridding the traditional Andalusian artform of its gypsy image and pulling new, young blood into its audience profile,
So what was wrong With old flamenco? 'During the Franco years it was Identified With the regime,' explains Spanish resident Laura Kumin, who helped programme this strand of New Moves dance festival, 'Espana Se Mueve'. 'Not because of flamenco artists, but because the regime chose it as its cultural export. For years people weren’t interested'
The new order, exemplified by New Moves artists like Belen Maya, Compania Arrieritos, Manuel Nogales and Fernando Romero, has revolutionised movement, mum and dress code. But With flamenco-istas quite literally wearing the trousers, it also tackles sexual politics. 'The traditional dichotomy of the way men and women danced is being erased,’ says Kumin. 'Women were iust there and pretty, concentrating on their arms and men were the tour de force. Now you find women who are dynamos in terms of energy.’
There is of course more to Spanish dance than flamenco, new or old, and the remainder of Espana Se Mueve is testimony to the diverSity emerging from modern Spain. Controversial Catalan Sol Pico is probably the wildest card With a reputation that practically careers ahead of her. ’Sol Pico is an animal unto herself,’ laughs Kumin. ’She is a fierce performer.’
(Ellie Carr)
preview THEATRE
Stage whispers Re: treading the boards
LOOKOUT THEATRE COMPANY present a reading of artistic director Nicola McCartney’s latest play Home at the Tron box office this month (see listings for details) in a performance made possible by a Scottish Arts Council grant. Imagine their surprise then when the body turned down an application to fund the complete production. The company have expressed their disappointment to The List, feeling that the SAC’s faith in the project seems to have evaporated. Nonetheless, there are still plans to tour the play in the autumn. In the meantime, the Tron reading sees McCartney reunited with Mary McCusker and Iona Carbarns, both of whom performed to great acclaim in her last work, Heritage, late last year. For more SAC news, see Agenda page 21.
SUSPECT CULTURE ACTRESS Kate Dickie is not just a performer of some repute, she's also a concerned citizen with a heart of gold. Witness her recent leap into action at one of Glasgow’s busiest intersections, Charing Cross. Dicing with vehicular death, Dickie came to the aid of an old dear who'd had a funny turn at the wheel of her car. The actress soon marshalled other West End residents to push the car to relative safety at the roadside and call for an ambulance.
BRET EASTON ELLIS wins this issue’s prize for most undiplomatic answer. When a punter at his recent appearance at a packed to the rafters Arches asked the Glamorama author if he was surprised that Val Kilmer and Stephen Dorff took offence at their unfavourable depiction in the book he replied, ‘Yes, because I didn’t think those guys could read.’ The great man then proceeded to charm the Calvins off everybody present, pronouncing himself amazed at the warmth and enthusiasm of his Scottish readership.
Home fixture: Iona Carbarns
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