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Contemporary dance. Richard Alston, Artistic Director of The Place, the UK's leading centre for contemporary dance, is internationally recognised as one of the most influential and inspiring choreographers in British dance. The songwriter Hoagy Carmichael recorded his own often witty lyrics in a low-key Southern drawl, a style he described as 'lazying'. In Richard Alston's
Shuffle it Right, the songs Alston has chosen (including Riverboat Shuffle, Old Man Harlem and, of course, Star Bust) fairly scurry along with wry little licks and subtly punched out rhythm. It is toe-tapping, knee-jiggling music which gets the whole company of ten dancers moving. Schumann's romantic Dichterliebe song cycle inspired Martin Lawrance's
Body and Soul. The music deals with the obsessive suffering of a romantic lover. Lawrance chooses his music with care, and treats it with respect. Schumann's song cycle is sung live onstage by Nicolas Simeha, accompanied by Jason Ridgway. The programme is completed by Richard Alston's brand new
Blow Over choreographed to the racing pace of Philip Glass' Songs 'From Liquid Days'.