The Stables Theatre and Arts Centre
The Bourne, Hastings
East Sussex TN34 3BD
01424 423221
The Bourne, Hastings
East Sussex TN34 3BD
01424 423221
Beyond Words
Hastings Contemporary Youth Dance Company
Choreography by Sue Marshall and the students
Directed by Sue Marshall
18–20 February 2010
Reviewed by Rebecca Marshall
Hastings Contemporary Youth Dance Company
Choreography by Sue Marshall and the students
Directed by Sue Marshall
18–20 February 2010
Reviewed by Rebecca Marshall
I went to see the show Beyond Words at the Stables Theatre last Saturday night, performed by the youth section of Hastings School of Contemporary Dance. It was a fantastic evening. The enjoyment and accomplished performances of the dancers, aged between eleven and eighteen years, was a pleasure to watch, and their creative responses to the excellent range of music made for a thought-provoking and inspiring evening.
In particular I enjoyed a comedy piece danced to words by Roald Dahl—“The anteater”—which made the audience roar with laughter. An exhilarating, high-energy dance, “Brackets of division, multiplication and subtraction”, cleverly played with ever-changing patterns of movement and 3-D red and green lighting, showed a high level of skill from the senior group. A poignant exploration of war was powerfully rendered in “Must we do as we are told?”, and we were taken under the sea in “Hidden depths”, a poetically layered work with beautiful lighting and costumes of blues and greens.
There was more high-quality work than can be mentioned here; this was a unique opportunity to see choreography by the young people themselves, ranging from work inspired by the musical Wicked to Jack Johnson, Gershwin and the Beatles. This stimulating night of contemporary dance was the perfect antidote to dull February weather.
In particular I enjoyed a comedy piece danced to words by Roald Dahl—“The anteater”—which made the audience roar with laughter. An exhilarating, high-energy dance, “Brackets of division, multiplication and subtraction”, cleverly played with ever-changing patterns of movement and 3-D red and green lighting, showed a high level of skill from the senior group. A poignant exploration of war was powerfully rendered in “Must we do as we are told?”, and we were taken under the sea in “Hidden depths”, a poetically layered work with beautiful lighting and costumes of blues and greens.
There was more high-quality work than can be mentioned here; this was a unique opportunity to see choreography by the young people themselves, ranging from work inspired by the musical Wicked to Jack Johnson, Gershwin and the Beatles. This stimulating night of contemporary dance was the perfect antidote to dull February weather.
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Photographs > www.artypharty.com
A selection of production photographs from the 1950s to the present is available at our photographer Peter Mould’s website.
A selection of production photographs from the 1950s to the present is available at our photographer Peter Mould’s website.
