Ill be the first to admit that whenever I see dance shows at the fringe, I expect to see groundbreaking dance from around the world, but have never expected much from Scotlands home-grown companies. The Scottish Dance Theatres most recent work, No Stronger than a Flower, has successfully converted me into a believer of dance coming out of Scotland.
Choreographer Jan DeSchynkel has created a world unlike any other. Set to the music of a number of modern-day cult heroes, we watch as a series of mystical creatures and mod humans move about the stage, creating shapes with their bodies that are so simple, yet so stunning to the eye that one cant help but stop and think, Why havent I seen this before? Every item on stage, from the costumes to the set pieces and props, become one with the dancers as they greatly influence not only the story and the environment, but the movement choices as well.
I find that it is often difficult to pull of a story-telling dance theatre piece without it coming off as a bit cheesy and trite, but the Scottish Dance Theatre has found a way to not only create a fine work of art with some highly skilled and engaging dancers, but to make it incredibly hip in the process. Indeed, I can only equate watching No Stronger than a Flower to watching a great music video that keeps both your eyes and ears happy all at once.
