Richard Alston Dance Company, Brighton Dome, April 2

11:17am Friday 4th April 2008

A theme of simplicity supplied the wow factor to choreographer Richard Alston's latest trio of contemporary dance pieces.

Starting with Fingerprint, set to music by Bach, the dancers proved Alston's extraordinary talent for matching physical moves to emotive music, while the simple costumes and minimalist backdrop helped emphasise the beauty and control of his dancers' skills.

Next came Brink, a piece by Alston's gifted protÈgÈ Martin Lawrance. Having already found his own unique style, the young dancer set his trademark spikey moves to angry, discordant piano strikes. Although jarring, there's no doubt Lawrance has acquired Alston's ability to create moves which perfectly represent the music they're set to.

After a short interval, the dancers returned with a series of duets set to lively yet sinister accordion music. The dancers' skills were best demonstrated during this performance, when three sets of couples took to the stage, twirling quickly yet gracefully in perfect unison.

Surprisingly for a finale, the 1940s-themed Shuffle It Right was also refreshingly minimalist, with classic floral dresses for the girls and grey trousers for the boys. Backed by upbeat swing numbers, it mixed wartime shuffles with contemporary moves and, following a performance from the gravity-defying Lawrance, the show closed with a calm solo from a graceful female dancer.

A former artistic director of Ballet Rambert, Alston is widely recognised as Britain's best contemporary dance choreographer.

After a show like this, there is simply no point arguing.

Editor's Choice