‘The Future Bursts in’ with Dance Umbrella

By Sarah Kirkup, 25 October 2019

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Reviewed at Royal Opera House: Linbury Theatre, London on 24 October 2019

Somewhere in the Middle of Infinity (Amala Dianor)

For Four Walls (Petter Jacobsson, Thomas Caley)

Sounddance (Merce Cunningham)

Compagnie Amala Dianor

Ballet de Lorraine

Liam Francis Dance Company in Alchemy: an absorbing London debut

Daniel Pratt, 7th November

Liam Francis Dance Company at The Place brings an instinctive and intelligent debut for a choreographer in-step with what it is to be a dance artist now.

*****

NYCB's winter season begins with Peck's brand new “sneaker ballet”

Ivy Lin, 27th January

The NYCB dancers are very at-home in this idiom, and they threw themselves wholeheartedly into this ballet. It was never less than watchable, but the music cried out for more avante-garde choreography than Peck provided.

****1

The Royal Ballet keeps the Cunningham flame aglow

Graham Watts, 11th October

A brief but innovative tribute to the lasting influence of Merce Cunningham in the Linbury Theatre

****1

NYCB does Cunningham ... and Balanchine

Ivy Lin, 5th October

Judging by the enthusiastic audience reactions to this program one might have to rethink the modern/ballet divide. Maybe there’s only two types of dance – good dance and bad dance.

****1

Merce Cunningham's centennial kicks off at The Joyce

Ivy Lin, 17th April

Despite the uneven performances, the evening offered a painful reminder: the future of Cunningham's opus is fragile and delicate. With his own company disbanded, his future is in the hands of dancers who are not trained in his technique and did not have the good fortune of working directly with the great choreographer.

***11

Merce Cunningham Trust: Night of 100 Solos

Graham Watts, 16th April

This opener to a unique tri-city, same-day event celebrating Cunningham's centenary was a magical and tranquil collage.

****1

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Sarah Kirkup

Sarah Kirkup has been Deputy Editor of Gramophone since 2010. She also writes for publications including the Royal Opera House’s in-house magazine and programmes for The Royal Ballet, and reviews dance events for cross-arts online magazine The Cusp. She is particularly interested in the relationship between music and dance, and has spoken on this subject at panel discussions, talks and events.

‘The Future Bursts in’ with Dance Umbrella’s contribution to the Cunningham Centennial