CARDIFF DANCE FESTIVAL
Taking place in six venues across Cardiff throughout November, this celebration of dance brings a variety of unique performances to the city by offering both ticketed and free events, shows and workshops. The festival kicks off with a free opening night launch party at Chapter on Fri 8 followed the next day by the subtly named Sweat Baby Sweat: an intimate performance about love from acclaimed choreographer Jan Martens. Catch it at Wales Millennium Centre’s Dance House on Sat 9, with all tickets priced at £10 and a lower age limit of 16.
Rambert2, a group composed of up-and-coming dancers from around the world, bring their fresh and exhilarating choreography to the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama on Fri 15 and Sat 16. Their show combines technicality with raw energy and features some of the freshest new talent in the dance community.
Perhaps the most unique performance of the festival comes in the form of -ish , a solo choreography by Aby Watson. This exploration of Watson’s dyspraxia is performed alongside a myriad of zany props, including a helium balloon. Billed as a show which “thrives on dysfunction”, this promises to be an exhilarating and bonkers experience; showing for one night only at the Wales Millennium Centre on Thurs 14. Likely to rival it in terms of challenging conservative perceptions is Rachael Young’s Out, whose choreography references both Jamaican dancehall and vogue/ballroom culture in its stance against homophobia and transphobia. It’s at Chapter Arts Centre on Sun 17; other performances there include Siriol Joyner’s Morfa Rhuddlan and Elsewhen, a free show by Leah Marojevic and Theo Clinkard.
National Dance Company Wales perform a run of shows entitled Roots from Tue 12 to Thurs 14 Nov at Dance House, described as a guided tour to contemporary dance performed through four individual pieces. Each piece is framed around a different theme, ranging from rugby to Frida Kahlo, with tickets starting at a reasonable £8 for under 25s and £16 otherwise. While if you’re an aspirational dancer yourself, choreographer Rosalind Crisp is leading workshops at the Wales Millennium Centre, priced at £60 for two days.
words BETH GOODWIN
Various venues, Cardiff, Fri 8-Sun 24 Nov. Tickets: prices vary. Info: www.dance.wales
