Nobody with any interest in dance should miss Tanz Ensemble Cathy Sharp, a leading Swiss company, which gave the first of three performances at Tallaght's Civic Theatre on Thursday. Four contemporary pieces by four different choreographers showed the amazing versatility of these superb dancers from seven different countries.
Of special interest to Irish audiences was Stew, by Longford-born Marguerite Donlon, with music by Claas Willeke, Sam Auinger and Danda Cortes. In pools of light, designed by Brigitte Dubach, she uses a remarkable vocabulary of bird, animal and human movement - to say nothing of Irish traditional dance - in a skilful and witty illustration of communication without words.
Artistic director Cathy Sharp's own piece, Lunula, was equally arresting, as man, woman and child both distilled and reflected moonlight in Ann-Kathrin Pipoz's silver costumes, to the music of Jack Body, Arvo Part and Harry Partch.
Nicolo Fonte's Sometime Salvation began with a bang, but then used silence, as well as poetry and music by Ryuichi Sakamoto, as three couples performed duets, sometimes alternating, sometimes synchronised.
Exciting and attractive lifts featured in this, as in the two previous pieces, while the final item on the programme, Torn Stone and Hiccup by Jennifer Hanna, was in marked contrast. Marching on in clogs, later discarded, four women in Dutch peasant costume with tall hats designed by Deannie Boerboom weaved patterns while the men prowled after them on all fours. Then the scene was magically transformed as the women, with wonderful grace, rained down cascades of glitter, scooped from the hollows of their hats.
Concludes at Tallaght tonight (to book, phone: 01-4627477), then tours to the Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo, on Tuesday; the Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen, on Thursday; and the Town Hall Theatre, Galway, on Saturday, September 23rd.