Judging by its performance at the Belltable, Limerick, last year, the Tanz Ensemble from Switzerland is an interesting and versatile small company, writes Carolyn Swift. Last year their artistic director, Cathy Sharp, choreographed one of the three short pieces they presented: an anti-war dance/drama which was reminiscent of Ballets Jooss in its starkly-simple Central European-style movement. This time she has created a full-length piece called Chantecler - A Medieval Fantasy.
Medieval troubadour music is contrasted with a contemporary score by Peter Maxwell-Davis to give the story of courtly love and intrigue a current relevance. The Swiss critic, Rolf Burgin, described the piece as "humorous and dreamlike, occasionally grotesque, sometimes theatrical and constantly playful, amorous and charming", while Dirk Poschidajew's portrayal of the mad king has been lauded. Much of the contemporary dance seen in Ireland in recent years has been lyrical or satirical, acrobatic or violent, so a dramatic piece will make an interesting change. The company will be at the Hawk's Well, Sligo, on May 6th; the Town Hall Theatre, Galway, on May 8th; the BT Studios of Belfast's Waterfront Hall on May 12th; Longford's Backstage Theatre on May 14th and 15th; and the Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny, on May 18th.
