The entire city of London becomes a stage with Dance Umbrella 2015 commencing on 15 October. It begins on a rooftop, and ends on 31 October in a park. Come rain or sunshine, Dance Umbrella 2015’s programme of events incorporates ten performances, along with other activities ranging from workshops, talks, walks, discussions and debates, taking place both indoors and outdoors at various venues and sites across thirteen London boroughs. This year’s festival’s artistic director, Emma Gladstone, focuses on aspects of cultural tradition and the collective joy of dancing.1. For an elated dance enhanced by panoramic views of the illuminated city at night, start with Still House’s “Of Riders and Running Horses” (15-17 October), either at the roof terrace of the NCP Car Park in Farringdon, or at the Courtyard of Bernie Grant Arts Centre. This urban dance intervention recalls Trisha Brown’s “Roof Piece” (1971), but expect something altogether different. Featuring six female dancers and a live band (Luke Harney AKA Typesun and Sam Halmarack), this dynamic event asks that you reconsider dance as a universal language both sociable and communal. The dance vocabulary in “Of Riders and Running Horses,” fuses freestyle dance and pre-defined choreographic moves based on reconstructed jumps and steps, which have been extracted from club dancing repertoire, traditional English folk dance, and Brazilian Free Step (also known as Rebolation), which emerged from rave culture and was popularized through online video sharing. Dan Canham, the director of this stirring piece, calls their sum “a kind of new folk dance.” If you want to try the steps of that ecstatic dancing, join his workshop on 24 October, at Unicorn Theatre’s Foyle Studio.2. After the showcase of “Siena” in 2014, Marcos Morau’s multi-media collective La Veronal returns to this year’s festival with a new work that promises to open up portals to the depths of the Earth. “Voronia” (19-20 October at Sadler’s Wells) takes its name from the deepest cave in the world, Krubera Voronia in Abkhazia, a breakaway region of the country of Georgia. Dig in, and you’ll discover some otherworldly visual images of karst topography. Such images are, here, animated projections, which accompany the unraveling of a series of ceremonial rites cast with an extraordinary choreography.3. In a club-like setting, with Tramp Häus Collective on decks, “The Factory” (26 October at Village Underground) is “a one-night artistic stand,” as the festival describes it, curated by hip hop choreographer Tony Adigun. Like Andy Warhol’s legendary (Silver) Factory (1962-1984), Adigun’s is also a meeting point where dancers, fashionistas, artists and musicians promise to immerse us in a night of artistic explosion. The Factory is an evening with a mix-and-match of cutting-edge talent including visual artist Leanza-May, Neon Dance, BBC Young Dancer finalist (hip hop) Kieran Lai, designer Bettina John, performance artists .2Dot, and Avant Garde, Adigun’s own company.4. One of South Africa’s leading artists, Gregory Maqoma, tells the story of his 18th-century ancestor, Chief Maqoma. The narrative of “EXIT/EXIST” (29-30 October at Shaw Theatre) follows the warrior who, after losing his land and wealth in conflict with the British forces, finds himself imprisoned on Robben Island until his death. Composed by Simphiwe Dana, the score is performed by a chorus comprising four South African singers accompanied by fusion guitarist Giuliano Modarelli. Finely weaving African rhythms and contemporary dance, “EXIT/EXIST” sets out to explore issues of race, political power and cultural tradition. 5. Take an audio-led trip across the park, with each step leading to a dance, with Charlotte Spencer’s “Walking Stories” (17 – 31 October). As you listen to the score by Tristan Shorr and Tom Spencer through headphones and an mp3 player, you will follow instructions and explore the open air as you never did before. “Walking Stories” takes place each day of the festival at Greenwich, Brockwell, Springfield, and Waterlow parks. Don’t forget your brolly and your walking shoes!
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