Brazilian-born Jean Abreu is one of Britain’s rising dance talents. He has a movement style that successfully merges Latin and contemporary.

Fijis is a trio developed from work for which he was awarded a Jerwood Choreography Award in 2003. It displays a fused movement language and choreographic style. The piece explores concepts of sexuality and how human instinct impacts on moral decisions. The work examines some of the natural tensions generated between two men and a woman to music specially composed by John Metcalfe and an atmospheric lighting design by David Holmes.

It is a work of contradictory experiences with a graceful fluid movement structure and moments of stillness. With solos and groups which move in circles, diagonals and a triangle it is an exciting piece. Joining Jean Abreu with intense powered dancing are the dancers Andrej Petrovic and Eleonor Valere.

Following this, the audience can move in the larger Queen Elizabeth Hall to see two pieces by Catherine Diverres. In Stance II, Rita Quaglia is silhouetted against a background of golden light in a long dress. While Pier Paola Pasolini’s La Terra di Lavoro plays into the void, she moves with her shadow to create a response to the sad words of the song this has elements of classical Chinese and Japanese paintings.

San (beyond) for five dancers is intended as an homage to Bauhaus master Oskar Schlemmer. All part of the Dance Umbrella season which last year had attendances of over 39,000.