FRINGE BENEFITS July 30 – August 25, 8pm, 1hr A scorching carnaval from 20 show, including live sanshin and GET DANCING A masterclass with Movin’ FRINGE BENEFITS outstanding Brazilian artists, flute music, fan and court dances. Melvin Brown, whose talents From sexy samba and surreal circus to fiery featuring samba, zouk lambada, BEY DANCE WORKSHOP include tap, juke dancing, favela funk and acrobatics. RANDOM ACTS Gilded Balloon; August clogging, jazz and swing. His flamenco and comic tapping,Marianka Swain Gryphon at WestEnd; 1–24, 10am, 2hr show is at the same venue, July previews dance highlights at this year’s Edinburgh FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW August 4–8, 8.45pm, 1hr Break out your inner Beyoncé 31-August 24, 6:05pm. Festival Fringe and the International Festival Assembly Hall; July 31 – Houston City Dance Company’s with this fierce, booty-shaking August 25, 7.45pm, 1hr dynamic show fuses ballet, jazz class – beginner friendly. Drop CEILIDHS American hoofers Rhythmic and modern dance. in for one session, or do all Lauriston Hall; August EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE CoisCéim Dance Theatre returns Circus (pictured opposite) burst four to learn a full routine and 1–23, 9pm, 2hr with a poignant contemporary on to the scene with their tap ABSOLUTELY LEGLESS perform in a flashmob. Ken Gourlay calls the steps CIRCA: BEYOND piece by David Bolger that shoes, funky costumes and Acoustic Music Centre at these fun ceilidh socials, Underbelly, Bristo Square; explores the loss of a loved one. swinging brass band. Musical at St Bride’s; August 24, TAP INTO HEALTH: MOVIN’ WITH MELVIN with live music provided by July 30 – August 25, 7pm, 1hr genre-hopping and energetic 2.30pm, 6pm, 1hr 15 C venues – C; August Flaming Heather, HLI, Scott The acclaimed modern circus BOOKING DANCE FESTIVAL SHOWCASE percussive movement. High-energy live band and stirring 9–23, 10.50am, 1hr Leslie and Willie Fraser. ensemble invites you to step into Venue 150 at EICC; traditional dance from a company a surreal world, where blindfolds August 13–17, 2pm, 1hr 30 BLACK GRACE of fleet-footed Irish dancers. and rabbit heads meet Rubik’s The sixth annual festival-within-a- Assembly Roxy; July 30 contemporary ballet McClennan, blending Cubes and vaudeville. festival presents bite-sized work – August 22, 7.20pm, 1hr HAKA pieces examining our traditional and original from eight exciting American Acclaimed choreographer Neil Assembly Hall; July 31 relationships with objects, music and movement. SUSHI TAP SHOW dance companies, allowing you to Ieremia draws on his Samoan – August 23, 2pm, 50min from iPods to thrones, and the C venues – C sample a range of styles. and New Zealand roots to create Twenty-five of New Zealand’s bond between two people who THE SAKE July 30 – August 25, 4.45pm, 1hr innovative, highly physical works finest Kapa Haka performers will never meet. New Town Theatre; Tokyo-based comic trio Tap TAKBOOM for his powerful company. create an electrifying display of August 2–24, Do! combine tapping, juggling Spotlites at the Merchants’ Hall; the fierce Maori warrior dance. FOOTPRINTS 8.30pm, 1hr and zany music hall shtick August 15–19, 11.10pm, 55min BOTTLE MAIL FROM OKINAWA Lauriston Halls; August Japanese dance, aerial in a wonderfully eccentric This emerging Parisian Spotlights at the Merchants’ Hall; OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION 11–16, 12.30pm, 45min acrobatics, comic performance. company combines Lecoq August 9–24, 4.05pm, 50min Greenside at Nicolson Square; High Heart Dance Company storytelling and cutting- movement, acrobatics, puppetry Japan’s Ship of the Ryukyu share August 1–23, 6.25pm, 1hr joins forces with Scots singer edge multimedia are BACK OF THE BUS and spontaneous musicality a traditional song and dance MurleyDance performs three Emily Smith and musician Jamie combined to create a striking Assembly point: George Square in their debut piece. visionary world. Gardens; August 4–21, 4.30pm, 6.15pm, 8pm, 1hr ALBA FLAMENCA EDINBURGH An immersive experience I AM A SIMPLE SPACE Take a magical mystery tour Alba Flamenca/La INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL of wartime dance culture, Edinburgh Playhouse; Underbelly, Bristo Square with New Zealand’s Java Sal; August 1–24, with archive films, live music, August 16–17, 8pm, 1hr 50 July 31 – August 25, 4.20pm, 1hr Dance Company (pictured 4pm, 7.30pm, 1hr 10 INALA participatory dance specialists, New Zealand’s Lemi Ponifasio Talented Australian acrobats Gravity below), as they propel Top flamenco Edinburgh Playhouse; August and the chance to dress in period explores the legacy of World & Other Myths push themselves themselves down aisles and musicians and 10–12, 8pm, 1hr 35 clothes and get involved. War I through poetic movement to their physical limits in an awe- hang from the roof on a bus dancers bring a taste In this exciting fusion, Mark and striking imagery. inspiring modern circus show. ride through the streets of Spain to this dedicated Baldwin unites Zulu traditions GNOSIS of Edinburgh. venue, which includes a tapas with western song and dance. King’s Theatre; August SWEET MAMBO BRAZOUKA bar. Also check out fusion Performers include the Royal 19–21, 8pm, 1hr 35 Edinburgh Playhouse; August Assembly Hall; July 31 – August MISSING show India Flamenco, a Ballet, Rambert and choral group Akram Khan Company joins 23–25, 7.30pm, 2hr 30 25, 5.30pm, 1hr 15 Dance Base; tale of travelling gypsies, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. forces with Taiwan’s Fang-Yi Tanztheater Wuppertal explores For full details of this new dance August 1–24, Wednesdays 6pm. Sheu and dancers from around relationships between men drama, see page 18. l 6pm, 50min BAL MODERNE the world in an Indian Kathak/ and women, from seduction to Irish double-Fringe THIS IS BRASIL: THE SHOW The Hub; August 15–17, contemporary show inspired by abandonment, in the inimitable www.edfringe.com First-winning Pleasance Courtyard; 2.30pm, 2hr Hindu epic the Mahabharata. style of Pina Bausch. www.eif.co.uk

22 \ WWW.DANCE-TODAY.CO.UK Photograph © Java Dance Company Photograph © Rhythmic Circus JULY 2014 \ DANCE TODAY 23