Celtic Collective at Dance Base is a vibrant presentation of dance from the youth companies of Wales and Scotland. It offers a showcase for young dancers who have developed a piece with a choreographer to perform as part of the Edinburgh Fringe.
First up are the dancers from National Youth Dance Wales. Momentum – Undone, choreographed by Marcus Jarrell Willis and the second part of his piece Momentum, draws on music including pieces by James Blake, Jacob Collier, Tchaikovsky and Ólafur Arnalds. Its opening movements have the dancers perform with their backs to the audience into mirrors ranged around the rear of the stage. It results in a somewhat unsatisfactory experience, with the audience unable to fully appreciate the performances of the dancers.
The later movements set to Tchaikovsky are much more successful. The dancers surge across the stage, combining and breaking apart, performing in dynamic duets and trios as well as alone. The skirts of the dancers’ riding-coat style costumes swirl dramatically, driving the dancers on.
The National Youth Dance Company of Scotland couldn’t be more different in appearance. In place of the dour black of the Welsh dancers, the Scots emerge covered in enough glitter, sparkles and frills to put a Las Vegas chorus line to shame. A larger ensemble, their segment Afterglow has been created in collaboration with choreographer Tess Latham.
The sparkling costumes and party hats are in stark contrast to the opening movements, as the solemn-faced dancers struggle and falter, dragging each other across the stage in a seemingly futile search for joy. The sorrowful parping of a lone party streamer elicits a laugh, but only serves to highlight the bleakness of the dancers’ world.
Gradually, though, the dancers begin to break out of what seems to be shackling them, surrendering themselves to an ever more joyous, foot-stomping finale. Chorus lines splinter into duets spinning across the stage, and the piece finishes with a rush of hope for the future. With committed ensembles and several very talented individuals, Celtic Collective is a promising showcase of where Celtic dance might be heading to.
Performed at Assembly @ Dance Base on Sunday 09 August as part of the Edinburgh Fringe
7-9 & 11-16 August, 16:05
Running time: 1 hour, no interval
Performed by National Youth Dance Wales and the National Youth Dance Company of Scotland