OneTouch Theatre, Eden Court, 31 July 2009

IT’S A shame that the OneTouch was not fuller for this year’s Project Y. These are young dancers from all over Scotland and although they, unlike NDT2, are not starting the day with two hours of ballet and in some cases may not even be going to a weekly class, nonetheless this was a very enjoyable evening. There was also the frisson of excitement that always accompanies spotting a potential star of tomorrow….

Y Dance

This year, the Y Dance company of two dozen young Scots was joined by the Oxford Youth Theatre Dance Company as part of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival’s Extended Festival strand, turning the evening into something of a ‘dance-off’.

First for the chop were Project Y, with Artistic Director Andy Howitt’s ‘should I take this silence as yes you did?’, choreographed to four Mogwai tracks. Although a little repetitive in the arm movements, there were some magic moments including lifts which were exemplary in their apparent effortlessness and a segment for the five male dancers which had an agreeable astringency.

Next up was the first OYTDC piece, not titled in the programme, but which had a good narrative structure laced with humour, plenty of acting, and some gobsmackingly good street dancing and a terrific pastiche of Michael Jackson. Carlos Acosta started out doing just that… and look where it got him.

The second Project Y work was ‘chronos’, choreographed by Daniel Aing and interrupted by the everwatchful Eden Court fire alarm, necessitating a reprise of the first third. Despite or perhaps because of the interruption, the full performance was extremely impressive, very well lit, with excellent floor work and some dancing of professional standard.

With barely a pause, OYTDC retaliated with ‘Street of the Lost Art’ and ‘I Swear I Was There’, both choreographed by Nicola Moses and Menelva Harry. Costumed in dayglo tutus and striped leggings, the dancers were challenged by interesting, ambitious choreography which made little concession to their youth, and when it ended with an extract from House of Pain’s ‘Jump’, the Y Dance crew led the audience in wild applause.

After the interval, Project Y returned with ‘substratum’ by Allan Irvine, who as a former member understands exactly how to choreograph for his successors, giving them a thoroughly extended vocabulary of movement. The contrast between Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ and the b-boy moves he had made for it was stunning and this could have passed for the first run-through by a professional company.

The company’s enjoyment was evinced by exuberant dancing and infectiously joyful expressions. The evening closed, somewhat later than anticipated, with ‘same destination, different journey’ by Anna Kenrick. Inspired by a recent trip to India and Nepal and incorporating the classic hand and feet movements of kathak, it was aided by intense colour in the lighting and again, would not have disgraced a professional company.

The abiding memory of the evening, though, will be the sight of two young dance companies supporting and encouraging each other, oblivious to anything other than the quality of dance.

© Jennie Macfie, 2009

Links

• Project Y
• Oxford Youth Dance
• Aberdeen International Youth Festival
• Jennie Macfie