HALFWAY through this superb double-bill of contemporary dance, the two French women sitting in front of me turned to one another with a confused look. "Dance Scottish?" one asked – the other shrugged. Seemingly, they had seen a poster for Scottish Da
nce Theatre (SDT) and assumed it was dance from Scotland – which, of course, it is, just not in the way they had imagined.
Despite the absence of kilts and bagpipes, they seemed to enjoy their helping of contemporary dance. And why wouldn't they? SDT is a very watchable company, and this double-bill in particular is their strongest to date.
Liv Lorent's Tenderhook has a delicious opening with a sea of ribbons, which gives way to a section that could easily be titled "how many different ways can we cross the stage?" They never run out of options: leaping, rolling, staggering and walking from one side to the other. What strikes me most about Tenderhook, however, is the sheer enjoyment of the dancers. As they jump and twirl, the joy they feel at cutting through the air is palpable.
Hofesh Shechter is another formidable talent. With Dog, the Israeli choreographer has created an energetic piece that switches from joyful to something more sinister. Inspired in part by Shechter's time in National Service, the sharp musical cues alone make this compelling.
• Until 24 August. Today 6:30pm
The full article contains 239 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
