Resolution!, The Place's platform for new dance, returns in January for its 23rd edition, and it looks like it's been stripped back to its roots this time: Aerowaves is absent this year, leaving only 87 companies (instead of the usual 102 companies), and the focus this year seems to be on newer companies and choreographers, potentially making it even harder to pick what to see.

As the audience is reminded at the start of most evenings, many of today's best-known choreographers started out at Resolution - including Wayne McGregor, Javier De Frutos, Mark Baldwin, Katie Prince and Hofesh Shechter; in more recent years, Drew McOnie, Devaraj Thimmaiah and several dancers from Rambert Dance company including Jonathan Goddard and Gemma Nixon have performed their works, as well as a very memorable solo for Royal Ballet principal dancer Edward Watson, created by Kirill Burlov. (Memorable solely for the unfortunate costume Edward Watson had to wear). It is suggested that the future of contemporary dance may perform on any of the evenings in this season... but only time will tell.

This year's lineup showcases a mixture of new graduates, dance teachers, and dancers from various mid-scale dance companies. While there's less Indian dance on offer this year, there's several street dance and hip-hop companies scattered among the 26 nights.

It's worth noting that each of the companies have guaranteed a third of the ticket sales for each night, so there's an element of financial risk for all companies involved - as well as the possibility of making a profit if tickets sell nicely. So if you have a free evening and fancy seeing some dance, do wander over to The Place and support three worthy dance companies!


Full listings are here: www.theplaceprize.com/634/whats-on/listings.html


Recommended Companies:

7 January: Toby Fitzgibbons & Matthew Robinson

This is Toby Fitzgibbons & Matthew Robinson's second Resolution! performance, following from a successful debut earlier this year.

Both Toby and Matthew are dancers with Dundee-based Scottish Dance Theatre; Matthew Robinson has been making a name for himself as a choreographer to watch, from his work while still a student at London Contemporary Dance School to the highly impressive 'For A Second I Stood', commissioned by the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance.

You can watch his showreel here: www.youtube.com/user/mrobinsonanddancers


14 January: Joss Arnott Dance

Joss Arnott's success has been meteoric since his premiere of 'threshhold' at Cloud Dance Festival in July 2010; he is now supported by South East Dance and Dep Arts, and this is surely the start of even greater things. His work is very dynamic and physically challenging - and is not to be missed!

Website: www.jossarnottdance.co.uk


19 January: Giorgio de Carolis & Elena Zaino

This is a collaboration to look forward to: Elena Zaino has worked with Henri Oguike for several years; Giorgio de Carolis is a dancer with Motionhouse Dance Theatre. Elena's videos show her to be an accomplished, talented choreographer, while Motionhouse Dance Theatre is one of the UK's leading dance theatre companies, much-loved for their physical choreography and digital work. What will their finished piece be like... ?


21 January: Gwyn Emberton Dance, Lîla Dance

Gwyn Emberton has an extremely impressive background, having worked with Akram Khan, Inbal Pinto, Jasmin Vardimon, Scottish Dance Theatre, Matthew Bourne and Yorke Dance Project to name but a few. His style of dance is very physical and dynamic - and a treat to watch.

This work, The Seamless Art of Being, is a duet for himself and Berlin-based dancer Johanna Devi with music by German band SWOD, a video backdrop by Aurelien Farjon and lighting design by Estelle Rickelton.  

Website: www.gwynemberton.com


Lîla Dance have received lots of acclaim over the years, with two outstanding performances in Cloud Dance Festival in 2009, and touring extensively since then. Don't miss this chance to see them.

Website: www.liladance.co.uk


7 February: James Löffler

James Löffler has been dancing for Michael Clark and Ballet Ireland over the last few years, and created a very impressive piece for a Ballet Ireland choreographic session last year (described as 'absolutely fab'). We've heard lots of praise about him, so make sure you get a ticket to see him!


17 February: Yuyu Rau

There's always something special about the final night of Resolution!, with some of the best works saved for this night. Last year it was Hagit Yakira, with her feelgood physical theatre piece 'Sunday Morning'; this year, it's Yuyu Rau's first Resolution! performance since 2010's 'Beauty Unveiled', a beautiful mixture of contemporary dance, Chinese dance and martial arts which was later performed at our March 2010 Cloud Dance Festival.

Since then, Yuyu Rau has become an associate artist of Step Out Arts, and has been one of the dancers in the Pet Shop Boys / Javier De Frutos collaboration 'The Most Incredible Thing' - we're really really really looking forward to her latest work.


Worth Seeing

06 January: A.D.Dance Company, The Ticket Theatre Dance

A D Dance Company (previously known as Antique Dances) have been impressing audiences with their creative neoclassical work, performing regularly at their platform at Actor's Church in Covent Garden, and over the summer at the King's Head Theatre. This will be a great chance to see FAWN in a proper dance venue.

Website: www.antiquedances.co.uk


The Ticket Theatre Dance, directed by Lexi Bradburn, has been creating humorous dance works for several years. Sometimes they're hilarious, sometimes the jokes don't always work, but they deserve lots of credit for trying anyway.

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ticket-Theatre-Dance/178275975545007


18 January: Saad

Marc Saad is one of a group of choreographers who graduated from London Contemporary Dance School in 2005, whose work fuses irony and wit with theatrical choreography. Marc Saad's last work for Resolution! was 'Porters' in 2007, co-choreographed by Nick Lawson and Christian From, with the tagline "The first rule is you don't talk about it. The second rule is you don't talk about it". Google is very quiet about what he's been up to since then.


25 January: The MyNewt Project

Alex Newton has worked for Ballet Ireland, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English Youth Ballet, and has performed in several works created by Royal Ballet's Will Tuckett.

It sounds like there may be at least a little bit of improvisation taking place during her performance...


10 February: Impermenance Dance Theatre

Impermanence Dance Theatre is a network of Rambert School-trained dancers who are now based across Europe - and led by Josh Ben-Tovim, known to Cloud Dance Festival from his striking performances in Nexus Dance's 'Soul Notes' and 'Of Nothing' (both 2009).

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/IDT2011


17 February: Seke Chimutengwende & Friends

Also performing on the final night of Resolution!, Seke's work is sometimes humorous, always captivating.


Familiar Faces:

13 January: Kip Johnson is a dancer with Protein Dance

17 January: Tourlander's choreographer Soledad de la Hoz was shortlisted for Matthew Bourne's New Adventures Choreographer Award.

20 January: Nina Kov is creating a solo for Random Dance Company's Catarina Carvalho

7 February: James Loffler: previously in National Youth Ballet, now dancing with Michael Clark

11 February: Percussive Customer's choreographer Christopher Owen is a dancer with Candoco Dance Company

14 February: Le Petit Mort Dance Company's choreographer George Adams is a dancer with Ludus Dance.

17 February: Seke Chimutengwende previously worked for DV8 and Punchdrunk, among others