Elevate – Dance Platform Review, Lighthouse Arts Centre, Poole, Sunday 4th November 2007

Lighthouse Centre of Arts, Poole, gave name to Elevate, the county youth dance platform. This gave young dancers the seldom opportunity to perform in such a recognised venue, aiding their prospects and engraving ‘speed stripes’ onto their dancing shoes for their future.

As tonight’s performances proceeded, the audience were firstly presented with Shake, showing how their routine, named ‘Snow White – Shook Up’, incorporated the hip-hop and street dance styles, along with melodramatic heroism and, amusingly, seven young dancing dwarves all successfully sharing this remarkable and humorous take with the musing eye’s of the audience.

In contrast, the Hampshire Youth Dance Company present a more operatic performance, January 8th; simply stopping you from exhaling, their introduction proved to capture a more subtle side of dance; a duo act harmoniously demonstrating outstanding control. In succession, routines showed a striking contrast in style, colour, music and costume; all original in concept. On All Floors – BETA present themselves masked, dancing with no personification, as the plain white masks reveal no more than just their performance's expression: the idea is exploring the nature of having the same identity as everyone else and the performance piece works extraordinarily well. Finishing their routine, they reveal their identities, and taking an applauded bow.

Many performances were snippets of some larger routines originally choreographed, as each set lasted ten minutes, making the overall momentum of the show well balanced and executed. The all round variety in styles showed how modern dance culture is now growing. Venues, likes these, are containers for the future of youth dance. Audiences now have the opportunity to experience these cultures in full flow. There is a promising outcome from tonight, the route for the young dancer’s, and adult, will now be progressive. Next year may have plans for them to make this visit again but many will continue the experience onwards to a greater future in dance.

This is part of a larger review

RealTravel Magazine, Hannah James, Deputy Editor

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