Freshmess - Triple Bill, Dance Base, National centre for Dance, Edinburgh
Hip-hop show cuts a dash but lacks flash
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Your support makes all the difference.There's a lovely moment in "Urbanik Sessions Vol 01", the first piece on this triple bill of hip-hop-based dance. Two dancers mooch, knees bent, hips tilting. As he takes her hand, she does a buoyant little dip, knees still crossed, before springing on to his shoulder. For a moment their duet looks delicately formal: it's a street dance curtsy.
There's a lovely moment in "Urbanik Sessions Vol 01", the first piece on this triple bill of hip-hop-based dance. Two dancers mooch, knees bent, hips tilting. As he takes her hand, she does a buoyant little dip, knees still crossed, before springing on to his shoulder. For a moment their duet looks delicately formal: it's a street dance curtsy.
Freshmess are almost a home company at Dance Base: Allan Irvine, the artistic director, is also a Youth Dance worker here. This bill shows work by three choreographers, all working in the same loose hip-hop style.
In "Compound", two men fidget, get uncomfortable, slide into dance. The dramatic edge is never quite resolved. "Moonwalk on a Rainbow" is more successful, a breezy series for the whole company.
All these choreographers are pushing towards a more fluid, coherent form of street dance. There are no headspins, few stunt steps. It makes for longer-breathed dancing, but it's a tricky balance. There are too many linking steps, when some flash might be welcome. But the company has a relaxed style, and a lovely camaraderie.
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