A Day at Dancebase

While considering itself the national centre of dance in Scotland, Dancebase is also known for its unusual – some might even say eccentric or eclectic – Fringe programming. Through this year’s Desert Island Dance theme, Morag Deyes has brought some fascinating artists to the spotlight.  

The most memorable and incomprehensible – yet absolutely captivating – show at Dancebase is XD (****) by CollettivO CineticO. This show could be called absurdist physical theatre, or maybe even comedy dance; either way, it definitely doesn’t sit in any genre comfortably. There is no easy shortcut to describe what goes on in Studio 1 when they are performing, but it is certainly very funny, ingenious, and involves copious amounts of toothpaste. It's one of those pieces that could be considered either a work of childish madness or brilliant genius (I confess, I am still not sure). Reading into it heavily, it is very obviously brand-heavy, with Adidas and Puma, as well as other symbols that are very easy to identify from pop and comic culture. Spiderman and Superman feature in it too. 

XD also seems to suffer from a few pacing problems, as it takes a while to set up the various gags involved, and hence requires a little patience on the part of the audience – there is no natural flow between the short sketches.

On the more disturbed end of the spectrum, there is Piece of Mind (***), that strives to take on madness. While it is evident that Jackin the Box are quite synchronised as a hip hop crew, they explore new territory in this piece, which is commendable. It becomes clear quite quickly that the parts of the performance that involve hip hop or krump come to them much more easily than the modern dance parts. However, it is an extremely worthwhile effort as it is obvious what they are trying to do and say about an unbalanced state of mind.

Piece of Mind is the second half of a double bill; the other half is Status Anxiety (****) performed by Emma Jayne Park Dance Theatre. High octane, this energetic, witty and playful piece is a mixture of hip hop and contemporary dance both spoofing and exploring the identity issues of social networking sites.  Are you addicted to changing your profile photo?  This will have you smiling in recognition.

Using a screen to convey text messages, the four dancers explore different self-images, projecting fantasy, hinting at narcissism and an inability to develop real relationships, which turns nasty. Thankfully, this is resolved in an affectionate huddle of bodies at the end. 

Expressive faces add a certain theatrical flair to the dancing. Great fun and highly accomplished.  You'll love it, particularly Emma's scary zombie-eyes. 

Then, of course, there’s Squish (****) performed by Room 2 Manoeuvre's Tony Mills. He tells us about the sacrifices we make on a daily basis because we are working hard in the name of success. As he points out, happiness comes from the process of working hard towards something, but you can’t hang out with a process or be intimate with a process. So if we’re all chasing happiness, what exactly are we doing? This is a strong performance by one of the most hardworking performers in the business, so the advice is sound.

Overall, Dancebase's programme is rich and varied, which is exactly the culture it reflects in its dance class programming too. It is definitely the place to see some of the most interesting works from outside Scotland.