Tucked in between the bustling pubs of the grassmarket is the capital's home of dance and its latest exhibition, Dance Base Unwrapped. With a photo series of the late teacher Raymond Kaye and short films produced in conjunction with Dance Base, it’s clear this is a space for the community, filled with people with a passion for dance.
A plethora of dance styles, wonderful choreography and stories swept across the screen
Whilst the films being shown were polished, the exhibition as a whole lacked a little structure. With no clear direction of travel around the rooms and few plaques or informational boards, it was missing some momentum.
Living in the Space, an immersive dance installation, was a wonderful homage to dance music and the importance of clubbing as a queer sanctuary and often community. The space had plenty of room to dance and although the lights were down and the music was loud, the tone of the overall exhibition made breaking into dance feel a little strained.
We didn’t stop Dancing, the film showcase was another gleaming gem in this small show. With lots of content rolled into one, this compilation felt a little long for drop in viewing. A plethora of dance styles, wonderful choreography and stories swept across the screen but again, this lacked cohesiveness.
From 10 second videos to Tik Tok success stories, dance and music have played a pivotal part in our lockdown lives. This show teased at this success, sharing a brief video with an online handle but this was most certainly a missed opportunity. Inclusion of more of the everyday dance and it’s power to connect us would have brought the idea of never missing an opportunity to dance to life.
Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh, Dance Base is an inclusive, creative and lively dance space with a programme of classes for everyone. Though a little more could have been done to make this exhibition interactive and engaging, it’s worth a little wander around in between Fringe shows, to support an organisation which does so much good all year round.
