Broadway Baby gave 2FaCeD DaNcE Company five stars for each of their last two Edinburgh productions, in 2005, for Acetylene, and in 2007 for State Of Matter. The message is now clearly getting out. This year they are performing in Udderbellys Pasture, one of the largest venues in the Fringe, and, on the afternoon I went, there was scarcely a seat free.
The membership of the company has changed a little since their previous visits. Some of them have moved on to college or other ventures and their replacements look to be older and bigger. In fact, all the members of this all-male company look harder and more muscular than before.
As usual, the production is a mixture of break dancing and hip-hop, with elements of swing and jazz. This year there seems to be slightly more classical ballet than before, with even a pirouette at one point. There is a mixture of ensemble pieces, with any combination of two to eight dancers, throwing themselves around, jumping over each other and tumbling to the ground. Each dancer also gets to perform solo. This flexibility of the ensemble is very important, as, judging by previous years, the sheer physicality of the production will mean that some dancers will be injured during the run and the show will need to be re-choreographed without them.
At the show I attended, the audience ranged from young children to elderly couples, most of whom clapped along with the music and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the show. Highly recommended.
