WHAT WE DO BEST

WHAT WE DO BEST

Essex Dance Theatre

at the Civic Theatre

23.07.17

What EDT do best is to bring accessible, affordable dance training of the highest standard to the county, as they have done consistently since they took their first steps in 1975.

This year's Civic showcase was as impressive as ever, with an even more significant contribution from the young men of the company. Much of the choreography – we saw thirty numbers – is “home-grown”, like the finale to part one, by Zinzile Tshuma: exemplary discipline and amazing physicality in a piece danced to Sia's Move Your Body - “your body's poetry ...”.

Nikki O'Hara's Revolt, at the top of the show, gave us sinuous, serpentine ensemble, as did Jacob Holme's classically-inspired Stabat Martyr, danced to Pergolesi.

The same choreographer's crowd-pleaser to Bruno Mars' 24K Magic was followed by a lovely unaccompanied Change in Me vocal from Georgia Clements while the huge cast put on their knee-protectors for the traditional Knowledge [Adrian Allsop].

Amongst many other pleasures, a deliciously retro Mack the Knife [Paul Cowcher], David Nurse's eloquent Cello Suite to JS Bach, Ryan Heseltine's school-yard piece to Tom Misch's Watch Me Dance, and that lovely Astaire number Dancin' Man, choreographed by Kim Bradshaw, an old-fashioned show routine that the dancers looked to be enjoying as much as we did, as they left their soft-shoe footprints on the sands of time …

ESSEX DANCE THEATRE

ESSEX DANCE THEATRE
at the Civic Theatre, Chelmsford
17.07.16

Over its 40 year history, Essex Dance Theatre has continued to grow and evolve, while remaining true to its founding principles of professionalism, inclusivity and mutual support.
Their annual showcase is only the tip of their artistic iceberg – they're just back from their Devon residential – but remains an astounding achievement.
It began with the Thursday Boys – moving impressively to Pompeii and Juke Box Hero – before the two performing groups alternated one inventive, energetic routine after another, most of them choreographed in house. Both cohorts giving 100% to the challenging, dynamic dance, and both boasting an athletic, stylish group of young men.

Of the two dozen numbers, room only to mention the highly charged black and white This Is Why I Was Born, the cheeky Dr Wanna Do, Sing Sing Sing building the excitement, the school uniformed Trouble, which segued neatly into the witty Latin Trio. A stylish polka-dotted Hey Pachuco, and a superb routine to Neon Jungle's Braveheart, before The Knowledge from the whole company, closing the show as it has for the last 28 years, the calls and the triumphal descent to the stalls.

the 2015 company photographed by Patrick Anderson

ENSEMBLE

ENSEMBLE

Essex Dance Theatre Brentwood at Brentwood Theatre

10.07.15

So much imaginative choreography and brilliant dancing packed into just two hours – including time out for ice cream.

All the performing groups were able to showcase their varied talents in two dozen numbers. And all the dancers were disciplined, focused and committed.

Among the most impressive offerings: the gold and silver Roxie duo, Pirates from the Easter Juniors with their cute little cutlasses, a sophisticated Stepping Out with black lace and canes, Take Me To Church twice, once from the Easter Seniors, once from a very talented quartet of young choreographers. Pointe work in Tarantella, tap shoes for Stuck in the Middle and the stunning Stomp with found percussion – jangling keys, a bag of sweets and a dustbin.

The finale – a big showy divertissement to that number from Hairspray – gave all the dancers a chance to take a richly deserved bow.

photograph: Clare Rowden Photography

UNITED WE DANCE

UNITED WE DANCE

Essex Dance Theatre Brentwood at Brentwood Theatre

11.07.14

An amazingly varied programme of dance from this unique dance project.

The three performing groups, plus specialist off-shoots, changed styles and costumes with seamless ease, producing a showcase that was hugely enjoyable to watch. Twenty-three numbers all told, so we can only select a handful.

A lively, witty Mamma Mia, danced in colourful costumes. A charmingly old-fashioned I Could Have Danced All Night.

An excellent tap duo to “Cups”, perversely, since the number is already so percussive.

Some choreography winners, including Alice Andrews with a beautifully expressive piece, especially in the use of the hands, and in first place, Francesca Gomez with an extended piece to Radioactive.

A wonderfully cute tap-dancing Tiptoe Through The Tulips, with luminous blooms.

Particularly imaginative choreography to When She Loved Me from Toy Story, beginning as marionettes and ending in an evocative spiral effect which was quite magical.

A stageful of little sweeps, a well-drilled, thunderous Irish number, and a Cats finale which involved the whole company in feline teeshirts.

The costumes throughout were simple but striking – black tutus, gingham, patterned prints for The Two Tribes.

The dances were devised by Jane Ben-Aderet, Jessica Bradshaw, Kim Bradshaw, Nicole Carman, Helen Cridland and Rhiannon Munson-Hobbs.

Archive photograph by Clare Rowden

SUMMER SPLENDOR

SUMMER SPLENDOR

Essex Dance Theatre at the Civic Theatre

21.07.13

This end-of-year showcase began with the seniors in the team tee-shirt, and ended, as it must, with The Knowledge in kneepads, and a splendid set of curtain calls from a hugely talented company.

There was Lindy Hop, smiles and jive and Olly Murs, there was tap – Hit Me With A Hot Note – boogie, a lovely close-couple duo; there was even ballet. Though this did feel like tokenism, accompanied by a rehearsal piano, but beautifully danced by Rheanne Sun Wai.

Most of the work was exuberant, athletic and inventive.

From thirty pieces, space only to mention David Nurse's stylish response to Ella's At Last, with its knowing close, Jacob Holme's Black and Gold for the senior boys, and the deafening, dynamic car crash end to the first half, choreographed by Nikki O'Hara.

Claudia McKells reprised her A-level piece, an expressive interpretation of This Bitter Earth, which she performed in St Paul's Covent Garden at the memorial service for Phrosso Pfister, a longtime inspirational friend of EDT. And James, breathless at the end of an exhausting sequence, and without a monitor, gave us a rousing Jekyll and Hyde moment just before the finale.

SHALL WE DANCE ?

SHALL WE DANCE ?

Essex Dance Theatre at Brentwood Theatre

13.07.13

On the hottest day of the year, a professionally structured year-end presentation from this excellent community dance group.

The opening number set the standard: a sophisticated All That Jazz [Kim Bradshaw] from the seniors, immaculately costumed in black, with elegant gloves. The frocks were a key element in the show, from the baby dinosaurs to the floaty skirts for Down By The River, Jane Ben-Aderet's lovely barefoot interpretation of the Neil Young classic. Sparkly bowlers for Barnum [a lively production number from the Junior Performing Group], flying helmets for Those Magnificent Men, and lovely houris/temple maidens for Nicole Carman's energetic Bollywood routine, one of several good things to come out of this year's Easter course.

Plenty of tap, none of it predictable: Jennifer Lopez Latin tap, kooky Oz tap, Ellington tap. And ballet, too, including a stylish Shall We Dance from the Juniors, Peer Gynt, and La Fille Mal Gardée; no clogs alas, and no Widow. No boys at all, in fact, in this otherwise inclusive company.

Two special treats – choreography from the students, notably Anjali Jayasekera's busy take on Regina Spektor, and several numbers from ex-EDT, now dance graduate, Rhiannon Munson-Hobbs, whose fast, fun Hair, inspired by a yakkety-saxy Amanda Lepore track, filled the stage with chairs and Holy Chic tee-shirts. A brilliant number. And it was Rhiannon's "One", a sure-fire, kick-line showstopper, which brought this superb showcase to an end.

IT'S YOUR TURN !

IT'S YOUR TURN !

Essex Dance Theatre at Brentwood Theatre

06.07.12

The Brentwood arm of Essex Dance Theatre – no run-of-the-mill dance school – gave an impressive end-of-year showcase in Brentwood Theatre.

The small stage was well used, though clearly a larger space would have been easier for the dozens of dancers. I was impressed with the costumes, some thriftily recycled from past shows, and with the amazing variety of styles represented.

The younger performers were given just as much prominence: a cutely inventive Little Girls, teddy bears for tap, Kermit the frog [a superbly amusing routine, this; we critics at the back were delighted to hear Stadtler and Waldorf at the end] and gossamer scarves for Part Of Your World.

Ten fearless grisettes did an ambitious Galop, followed immediately by a riot of psychedelia for Austin Powers. I loved Kim Bradshaw's interpretation of Shine Your Shoes – a real production number – and her Charleston, with lovely flapper dresses and grey shoes. Rhiannon Munston-Hobbs, ex EDT student, contributed several numbers, including a brilliant That Man, to the music of Dutch jazz diva Caro Emerald. Kate Tozer choreographed a scintillating number to Leona Lewis's Collide, Jane Ben-Aderet a coolly classical piece to Bach, and a classy oriental number.

The finale saw the flappers joined by scores of Union Flags, jazz hands and exuberant bows to a well-deserved ovation.