5 of the best
Dance productions to watch free of charge at home
1 TO A SIMPLE, ROCK ’N’ ROLL ...SONG Michael Clark Company, streaming until July
Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, to a simple, rock ’n’ roll . . . song has been described by London’s Evening Standard as “an adrenaline shot that sends you away buzzing”. At first, it’s a reflection on Erik Satie and his influence on Clark’s mentors past and present – the dance meticulous and coolly refined. Next, there’s commanding choreography pulsating with a propulsive force to the punk rock of Patti Smith’s landmark album, Horses. Then, an iridescent tribute to David Bowie, the mood moving from elegiac to joyously rebellious. The Olivier Award-nominated work comprises a triple bill of gorgeously arresting choreography. Where to watch: BBC iPlayer
2 PARADE Théâtre du Châtelet, streaming until June 13
On May 18, 1917, the Parade was created at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. It was a show orchestrated by the master of the Ballets Russes, Serge de Diaghilev, with the help of a few artistic legends: Picasso, Satie, Cocteau and Massine. In tribute to the creative madness of this work, the Châtelet staged, almost a century later, a circus evening which celebrates the extraordinary genius of Erik Satie. Where to watch: www.arte.tv/fr
3 SCATTERED Motionhouse, streaming now
Scattered has been taking audiences by storm since October 2009, with sellout houses and standing ovations in venues across the globe. The work explores our relationship with water, and has proved hugelypopular with audiences. Performed on a vertiginous sloping wall, inspired by a quarter pipe, seven performers slide, climb and dive through a magical world where dancers and images interact seamlessly – plunging into an ocean, tumbling down a waterfall and sliding on a frozen landscape of arctic beauty. Where to watch: Find the MotionhouseDT channel on YouTube
4 MOON WATER
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Sadlers Wells, streaming May 15 to 22
World-renowned Cloud Gate Dance Theatre was Taiwan’s first contemporary dance company, and is known for its unique choreography, transforming ancient aesthetics into a modern celebration of motion. Set to Bach’s Suites for Solo Cello, multiple mirrors and gently moving water gradually fill the stage and reflect the dancers’ movements in a beautifully meditative performance. Where to watch: sadlerswells. com
5 MK ULTRA Rosie Kay Dance Company, streaming until May 17
MK Ultra explores the the rise of a strange, dark myth of our time. How, as millions of young people turn away from the established political systems, they are embracing bizarre conspiracies that they see hidden like a secret code in the culture and music that surrounds them. It’s a visually arresting spectcale, with costumes from Lady Gaga’s designer Gary Card, a gold mirrored stage, hypnotic triangular projections by Louis Price, a pulsing soundtrack of American trap music and a mesmerising score by electro-acoustic composer Annie Mahtani in a work blending Rosie Kay’s vision and Adam Curtis’s documentary elements. Where to watch: Find Rosie Kay Dance Company on YouTube