Dance review: Norman Douglas and Company

Published on Sunday 14 June 2009 21:59

NORMAN DOUGLAS & COMPANY *** TRAMWAY, GLASGOW

A FORMER shipbuilder turned choreographer, Norman Douglas has long been an unashamedly daring force on the Scottish dance scene. It's not his style to shy away from real issues or worry about provocation – yet standing alone on the Tramway stage, Douglas is the picture of vulnerability.

His large, white vest pulled down and through the legs of equally capacious underpants, he evokes childhood memories. Apparently his mother used to dress him that way as protection against the Glasgow elements. Above Douglas swings a macabre figure: a furry brown bear, bound and gagged. Teddy, it would seem, is the keeper of Douglas's secrets, the extent of which we can only hazard a guess at.

This highly personal solo piece is just one of three Douglas has been working on during his recent spell in Europe. All could be described as a psychoanalyst's field day. Against the screeching violins of Alfred Schnittke, Say It's Not True explores the unhappy life of French sculptor Camille Claudel – each harsh scrape of the bow matched by a tortured movement on stage. While Chora, an intense duet for two women, is filled with struggle – both inner and outer.

Although choreographically Douglas has once again proved his mettle, there's a sense that psychologically he's slightly over-egged the pudding. Some shards of light among the dark and a touch more subtlety would have worked wonders.