LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL PREVIEWS FESTIVAL DANCE
KNEE DEEP Thrills and spills at the Australian circus ANYBODY WAITIN’? Clever comedy on the dancefloor
In August 2010, an Edinburgh nightclub was commandeered for an entirely new use. In some ways, it was business as usual – beer was served, steps were danced and flirtations took place. Only this time, it was performers, rather than clubbers, doing the drinking, dancing and dating.
Two years later, the people responsible – Ireland’s
ponydance company – are back to take over another late night establishment. New work, Anybody Waitin’? explores the time we spend waiting for something to happen. ‘We draw very much on ourselves and parts of our own personalities,’ says dancer and co-choreographer Leonie McDonagh, ‘so it’s coming from somewhere real and you don’t have to force it. Our work is ridiculous at times, but there’s always a good helping of honesty about it.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Dance Base @ Silk Nightclub, 225 5525, 3–16 Aug (not 6,w 13), 8pm, £12 (£10).
UP & OVER IT – BACK ON OUR FEET Irish dance with a twist
They learned the steps, won the medals, and stood in line with all the other good Riverdance boys and girls. Then one day Suzanne Cleary and Peter Harding decided to break out from that line and do it their way, and Up & Over It was born. Taking an off-kilter look at that all-conquering phenomenon known as the Irish dance show, Cleary and Harding are enjoying thinking for themselves. ‘Having creative freedom is amazing,’ says Cleary. ‘Once you allow yourself to think outside the box, you realise anything is possible artistically.’ And, as Harding points out, once you reach a certain age, Lord of the Dance stops calling.
‘There aren’t many career options for professional Irish dancers in their 30s,’ he says. ‘You either carry on in the big touring shows dressed up like a Jersey Shore version of an Irish peasant or you teach. Working for yourself and making creative decisions is scary, but very rewarding when it goes right.’
Which it has been. Over the past three years, the duo has performed at cabarets and festivals in New York and across Europe. While their online videos have amassed over 10 million views. Key to their success, has been the ability to appeal to both Riverdance lovers and haters – their talent appealing to the former, their humour appealing to the latter.
‘I think ardent Irish dance fans appreciate what we’re doing and that there’s now something new they can go and see,’ says Cleary. ‘When we premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2009 we were just dipping our toe into the possibility of what Irish dance could be. Now we’re a lot more confident in what we do and so the music, choreography and videos have developed to reflect this. I think we’re about waist deep into it now. ‘ (Kelly Apter) ■ Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 26 Aug (not 21), 6.05pm, £10.50–£12.50.
How do you assemble a circus show when those involved are all busy with projects abroad? Skype’s fine for generating ideas, says Jesse Scott of Casus, but this newly-formed Australian company’s inaugural show, Knee Deep, didn’t begin to find its legs ‘until we started throwing each other around and balancing on each other’s outstretched limbs.’ Comprised of performers from CIRCA, Briefs
Collective, Flying Fruit Fly Circus and Polytoxic, each member of Casus is unique. Scott pegs gymnast and handstand specialist Emma Serjeant as ‘nimble and strong’; Samoan ‘tissu’ expert (in which you wrap up in fabric and drop-twist down) Natano Fa’anana as imbued with ‘a raw, powerful style’; and Lachlan McAulay as ‘effortlessly graceful’. While Scott’s true love is trapeze.
He describes Knee Deep as an intimate show set in a world ‘where gravity seems meaningless and language is forgotten but not missed. We want the audience to see the sweat dripping from our bodies, the strain our muscles are undergoing and the joy in our eyes.’ (Donald Hutera) ■ Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 27 Aug (not 13, 20), 7.35pm, £14–£15 (£13–£14). Previews 2 & 3 Aug, £10.
PRODIGIOUS Prodigy-inspired show starts a fire of its own
Neil Davy is a barrister following his passion for dance. His new company, Lite Fantastic, was set up to make dance more accessible to new audiences. It makes its Fringe debut this year with two shows: Collision, a feel-good music and dance mash-up, and Prodigious, a story told through the music of 90s big beat pioneers, The Prodigy. ‘We approach all of our productions with the simple rule that it must be entertaining,’ Davy explains. ‘After that, we have no borders as to what music or styles to use.’
Prodigious features a young cast of students and dance graduates, and boasts So You Think You Can Dance finalist Kendra J Horsburgh as its main choreographer. The soundtrack mixes Prodigy classics, like Breathe and Firestarter, with more mellow tracks like Mindfields and their recent chilled- out hit, Stand Up.
It’s this blend of styles that made the group’s music so attractive. Davy says: ‘The huge contrast in The Prodigy’s music allowed us to combine hard, street style performances with some stunningly beautiful contemporary pieces.’ (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ C, 0845 260 1234, until 27 Aug, 7.50pm, £9.50– £11.50 (£5.50–£8.50).
2–9 Aug 2012 THE LIST 49