FringeReview Scotland 2024
Golden Offering
Indepen-dance’s adult performance company
Genre: Dance, Dance and Movement Theatre
Venue: Tramway Theatre
Festival: FringeReview Scotland
Low Down
The use of music as a springboard works so well and allows us to concentrate on the singular dance expressiveness, of which there is so much beauty. With a few slips around the stage this still managed to keep us enthralled. It was lit with empathy and the music chosen with drama making it a theatrical wee treat.
Review
Once more, Indepen-dance have shone the light on the abilities of an exceptional group of people. Taking Mozart and Johnny Nash in between gives the requisite vista of sound and intimate imaginings. The company can really take flight and throw their personalities into the bigger arena of Opera whilst having the legitimacy of the stage. Many years ago, whilst a modest drama worker I worked with an adult special needs group filled with such personalities that workers tried very hard to hinder. There was a real attempt to keep people in their lanes and for them not to get too excited. It made travel back on the bus tough apparently.
To be fair, we did wind them up and when we found out it annoyed people, well…
We were there to support expression and creativity not crowd control.
Here you got both. A nicely choreographed piece of theatre which had many tableaux and much by way of individuality to support it as a perfect little showcase. There may not be much by way of a narrative or a story to tell but it made the repurposed costumes, and the joy onstage just shine that little more.
The quality we saw was certainly the equal of the venue. Once more and perhaps as a feature of the festival itself, it was wonderful to watch a group who felt so enhanced by the experience. My favourite piece was the ending when they were all in a line and showing themselves as a signature piece of movement for each of them. It highlighted just how capable they are with each movement part of an individual which was tremendously well poised and supported by the audience.
That connection between the performers and the audience shall always, at home, be a special one, however what you felt was not just pride they had got there, but the beginning of expectation. This may not be their first rodeo, but it opens up confidence that next stages could be more expansive, more ambitious and further afield. The wonderful thing about being part of an international festival is connection and not photo opportunities. It is about making the performer the star and whilst the choreographer and the support staff are an important part of the whole, without the work we have little to celebrate. Once more this was a tremendously happy place to find yourself clapping along in expectation of what might just come next.
