What is it with the British obsession with all things Nordic? From Bang & Olufsen and Wallander to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and the West End version of Mamma Mia!, we seem to̷…
Sadler's Wells, London: This isn't your ordinary Romeo and Juliet ballet: set to an adapted arrangement of Tchaikovsky's score, rather than the traditional Prokofiev work, it strip…
We decided to round off the summer with one last final festival fling. Maui Waui in Theberton Park, Suffolk promised us cabaret, theatre, circus, burlesque revues and street performers as we…
Sky1's recent finale of Got to Dance has everyone talking " mainly about the controversial winners, who seemed to triumph because of their back story rather than their talent. It's a shame, …
My experience of English folk dance is largely made up of maypole dancing at primary school and frightening my Kiwi husband with morris dancing in Sussex on our annual bank holiday jaunt to …
The theme of this week has been repurposing. All eyes were on Glasgow for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games " an event that received a mixed bag of opinions across the nation. I…
Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, London: Wendy Whelan presents four collaborative duets, which she performs with each choreographer. Read the full review
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is nearly upon us. Scotland's capital city is about to be swamped with theatre, dance, cabaret, comedy and everything in between " including the most genre-d…
When I was a student at the Danshogskolan in Stockholm, we used to take trips to the Kungliga Operan (Royal Swedish Opera House) in Gustav Adolf square, for the equivalent of a fiver. We had…
I was sent a rather lovely book in the post this week, about the rather lovely dancer, Steven McRae. Fans of the Royal Ballet principal will be pleased with Steven McRae: Dancer in the Fast&…
I’ve been waiting for a film season of dance to come along just so that I can write this column. And here it is! A two month program at the BFI in London, Gotta Dance,…
With the advent of Got To Dance series five looming on the horizon, I've started asking myself how I feel about dance television shows. Have they informed a nation, educating them in the vir…
Stop planning your holidays immediately and start planning your summer of dance. While theatreland is typically quieter in the warmer months, there is much to see from June until September "…
If you haven't already booked your summer festival tickets for this year, I'm going to throw it out there " don't just go for the music. There is so much more on offer, from poetry…
At first sight this children's theatre production could seem like a drab story circle for bored bairns. But despite a rocky start, I Believe In Unicorns develops into something rather magica…
I'm always interested in projects that contemporary dance artists or companies run and their motivations and ambitions in doing so. This month and next, Hofesh Shechter Company presents In G…
Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House, London: This premiere of works by Royal Ballet Choreographic Affiliate Alexander Whitley is sure to put this young dancemaker on the modern ballet map. Pre…
Considering the last time I came to Sadler’s Wells to watch naked dancers, the show spurred Quentin Letts (Daily Mail critic) to call for Luke Jennings (Observer critic) to sue t…
I often see contemporary dance companies that have found funding and a following because of their niche. Works and organisations that push boundaries, blur genres, cross-cultures and engage …
I spent last week on holiday in Belgium. It’s a funny little country and one that most people seem to think is neither particularly fun nor exciting – known as it is for beer and…
I did some research this week about the best family shows for the Easter holidays. I've recently written about why the activity of dance is good for children, but this was more about why vis…
If you are seeking to keep small children entertained this Easter, there's no need to sit around gorging on chocolate with so many egg-citing cultural experiences on offer throughout the UK.…
This week saw the launch of a landmark British ballet. Lest We Forget (Barbican, April 2-12) is an evening of four dance pieces inspired by the centenary of the First World War. While there …
My 4-year-old came running in to the room the other day holding her arms out in front of her as if hugging a beach ball and said "Look Mummy! I'm doing Barbara!" I remained perplexed…
At this point in my life, a balanced diet seems to be a piece of cake in both hands. But as it’s Dance UK's Dancers’ Nourishment Week (March 24-28), I thought I’d up my …