Gymnastics, silk fans, cups of tea, creepy masks—there's a slight whiff of performance art to this eclectic triple bill, which marks the first ever UK performance for K-Arts Dance Company, the Korean National University of Arts' resident professional troupe.
Mental illness isn’t a common subject matter for dance, but then again Company Chameleon isn’t your average dance troupe. The Manchester-based company dedicates itself to showing people the possibilities of dance both on stage and off, frequently complementing its performances with public workshops that examine the stories behind its work.
In 2015, choreographers Akram Khan, Hofesh Shechter and Lloyd Newman drew ire from the UK dance community for criticising the quality of British contemporary dance training, claiming in a joint statement that UK-trained students “more often than not lack rigour, technique and performance skills.” The following week saw headlines abound, forums buzz with debate and Dance UK chairman Farooq Chaudhry step down from his post after chiming in to question whether UK dance schools are truly “serving their students.”
“Will you hold this, please?” I look up from my notebook to see a young woman pressing a length of...
“It’s human to feel vulnerable; it’s honest to feel lonely. I don’t see these emotions as negative so much as critical and introspective.” –Hagit Yakira