CoisCeim Dance Theatre Belfast Festival

A FULL house cheered and stamped its approval of CoisCeim Dance Theatre (at the Old Museum Arts Centre in the Belfast festival…

A FULL house cheered and stamped its approval of CoisCeim Dance Theatre (at the Old Museum Arts Centre in the Belfast festival at Queens), undeterred by the hymn-singing Government and Morals Committee of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster outside, protesting at the nudity inside. They would have been greatly offended to learn how perfectly they complemented David Bolger's wickedly satirical Straight with Curves.

First seen in Dublin 12 months ago, this seemed even funnier on a second viewing," - as it uninhibitedly sent up sexual rivalry and equality, wrestling and trials of strength, Rodin and the cult of the body beautiful, until self-consciousness set in. Kenneth Edge's music happily matched the superb performances by David Bolger, James Hosty and Liz Roche, all as graceful as they were comic.

First, however, came Roche's own Dragons and Tonics, which fulfilled all the great promise shown in her 1994 and 1995 pieces in the Project and Samuel Beckett Theatres. Like them, it was scored by her brother Denis Roche, with music exactly mirroring the changing moods of the piece. Beginning and ending with the formality of a minuet, slightly askew, and the off-beat formality of Helen McCusker's attractive costumes, the piece was original and inventive, every movement creating its own mood of romance or ritual, fantasy or drama.

This was the more striking so soon after seeing Siobhan Davies's choreography, where seven highly-skilled dancers seemed merely to trace brilliant patterns, unlike Roche herself, whose fine dancing, and that of Bolger, Hosty and Simone Litchfield, was never merely ornamental.

READ MORE

If you want a real tonic see CoisCeim all this week in Belfast or next in Cork, Waterford and Dublin.