Get your dance fix

Marianka Swain recommends You can find gems such as Northern children, live Q&As, as well as access feel-good dance content you can Ballet’s 1984, The Royal Ballet’s Alice’s to behind-the-scenes and rarely seen enjoy without leaving the house Adventures in Wonderland, Giselle and The footage from the company’s archive, Winter’s Tale, Wayne McGregor’s Entity, curated and introduced by Bourne. and Akram Khan and Sylvie Guillem’s Catch the end of the company’s A t’s a heart-breaking time for the astonishing duet Sacred Monsters. Festival of Classics on May 3, at 8pm arts industry, with the closure of when Sky Arts re-screens The Car Man, I most venues and cancellation of Rosie Kay Dance Company filmed live at Sadler’s Wells in 2015. shows – leaving dancers and audiences 5 Soldiers illustrates the physical and alike stuck at home. However, there’s mental impact of war. Based on input Peeping Tom good news for those with itchy feet: from serving and former soldiers, Rosie You can now catch the first trilogy options are springing up for accessing Kay Dance Company’s visceral, funny of shows from acclaimed Belgian content online, with streamed and powerfully honest piece is well dance-theatre company Peeping shows and virtual dance learning. worth a watch – and a live stream of Tom, all from the comfort of your Plus, you can always find those the show is available on YouTube. living room. Le Jardin, Le Salon classic dance clips on YouTube… and Le Sous Sol are available to New Adventures watch online, for free – head to the STREAMED DANCE Join Matthew Bourne’s New company’s Twitter page for details. PERFORMANCES Adventures online with a different While we can’t head to a theatre activity for every day of the week: Royal Opera House at the moment, we can still see “Motivational Monday”, “Tune in The Royal Opera House is broadcasting wonderful work online. Tuesdays”, “Pro Wednesdays”, “Vintage full productions, plus its YouTube Adventures”, “Feature Fridays”, channel is teeming with wonderful Marquee TV “Workshop Weekends” and “Sunday material, including interviews, This superb service has a rich collection Sessions”. The programme includes rehearsal footage and insights into of specially filmed shows – and, in a live company class once a week – backstage work. It’s a chance to response to the current crisis, they’re led by New Adventures artists and really dig into The Royal Ballet’s offering a 14-day free trial period. open to everyone, creative tasks for productions, from start to finish.

48 • DANCING TIMES Illustration: SIMON OLIVER.

Dance_at_home_May.indd 48 21/04/2020 14:49 Get your dance fix at home

ever seen from a male celebrity in his precariousness of their profession is just earthy, tribal, hip-tastic number. The as evident. If it inspires you to donate shirtlessness didn’t hurt either… to an arts charity, so much the better.

Mark Ramprakash’s salsa The Band Wagon “You turned a meltdown into a Fred Astaire plus Cyd Charisse equals triumph,” proclaimed Bruno of dance heaven. The “Girl Hunt Ballet” in this fabulous Strictly moment – just this 1953 movie is simply sublime, from the words we need to hear right Charisse’s red-hot tasselled dress to now. Series four winners Mark the sheer dynamism of Michael Kidd’s and had to stop their choreography. Much has been made of performance when they became Charisse’s never-ending legs (which also entangled in a microphone cable. No threaten to steal Singin’ in the Rain), but matter: Brucie vamped marvellously, it’s the way she uses her physicality to they began again, and their “Hot, connect music, movement and feeling Hot, Hot” salsa became legend. that really takes the breath away.

Vincent and Flavia’s waltz DANCE LEARNING Though often known as Argentine Don’t want to give up your tango experts, this ten-dance dance education? Head online professional pair excelled across the for these great resources. styles, as proved by their waltz. Set to Des’ree’s “Kissing You”, a song Instagram classes featured in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo Many dance professionals are taking and Juliet, it’s lushly romantic, and their classes online – including a gorgeous demonstration of how leading choreographer Drew McOnie, dancing – and ballroom in particular Fame’s Debbie Allen, and Strictly’s – connects two hearts and two souls. . Go to their Instagram pages for free, live lessons. Always CLASSIC FILMS wanted to learn McOnie’s Jesus Christ Singin’ in the Rain Superstar moves? Now’s your chance. It’s physically impossible to watch any scene from this movie without Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker smiling, whether it’s Gene Kelly Belgian avant-garde artist De I’m keeping everything crossed that splashing through puddles, Donald Keersmaeker would like to teach you our sequinned favourite returns O’Connor running up walls, the how to perform her 1983 work Rosas this autumn. In the meantime, here sublime silliness of “Moses Supposes”, Danst Rosas. Sounds intimidating? are some Strictly pick-me-ups. or – my pick – the sheer euphoria of Actually, this video series, which “Good Morning”, a paean to creative you can find at rosasdanstrosas.be/ ’s cha cha problem-solving and friendship. home, is wonderfully accessible. All Travel back to the halcyon days of 2007. you need is a chair – and some space Eventual series five winners Alesha and to express yourself (mind the cat…). weren’t the leaders Nobody puts Baby in a corner! Well, from the start, but boy did they lay at least after the self-isolation advice is Ballet class with Tamara Rojo down a marker with this hair-flipping, lifted. For now, revel in the smouldering For professional dancers – and for the bootylicious, Beyoncé-styled cha cha. chemistry between ballet curious – wishing to keep active Watch the version with the judges’ and Jennifer Grey, and a climactic and positive during these uncertain comments, so you get the added bonus routine that shows the power of dance times, Tamara Rojo, artistic director of of Bruno roaring “It’s diva time!” in drama: so much is said, and felt, English National Ballet, is teaching a in just a few minutes. Plus: That Lift, series of special company classes from Danny Mac and which will send your spirits soaring, her home. Join her in her kitchen live on ’s sambas even as you remain housebound. Facebook or catch up later on YouTube. That Oti Mabuse sure knows how to choreograph a sizzling samba. All That Jazz babyballet Super-sub – and current champion The opening of Bob Fosse’s self- Little ones getting under your feet – Kelvin wowed the nation with this lacerating biopic is a perfect since schools and nurseries closed? jaw-dropping week one combo of encapsulation of the agony and ecstasy Good news: Halifax dance company powerful attack and nimble rhythm of his industry. Roy Scheider plays Joe babyballet, which has 83 franchises changes, while series 14’s Danny “Fosse” Gideon, auditioning dancers for around the UK, has taken its teaching “was robbed” Mac produced some his new Broadway show. Their skill and online. Classes are suitable for tots of the best Latin technique we’ve commitment fill you with awe, but the aged six months to six years, and new

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