Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus review: Looping: Scotland Overdub, Zoo Southside

Looping: Scotland Overdub, Zoo Southside – Main House * * * *

Translating it to Scottish culture, the carnival becomes a ceilidh, but the intent remains the same – to bring people together.

Choreographers Felipe de Assis, Leonardo França and Rita Aquino worked closely with Scottish Dance Theatre to make the work relevant to this country, and the result is powerful, meaningful and, perhaps most importantly in these challenging times, fun.

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Then the dancers drift off and do their own thing, silently setting the rules of engagement for the show. We, the audience, will step in and out of play as and when required, the rest of the time we’ll just watch.

The dancers move with a breathtaking quickness, darting around the space as if in pursuit of something; then spinning endlessly until dizzy. Occasionally, one picks up a microphone to utter some of writer Kieran Hurley’s words of political wisdom. “A different world isn’t just possible, she’s already coming” being the most poignant. And, standing in that crowd, whipped up in a frenzy of ceilidh-style dancing, hot and sweaty with your arms hooked around a stranger’s body, you believe it’s possible.

Plucked gently from the edge of the room, we’re drawn into the movement – each individual slowly but definitely becoming part of the swell, eyes bright and mouths beaming as we sense the community around us, moving as one. What a night.

KELLY APTER

Until tomorrow

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Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus review: Looping: Scotland Overdub, Zoo Southside - Main House, Edinburgh