The Stage

Into The Hoods/Underworld

Published Tuesday 7 February 2006 at 17:10 by Gavin Roebuck

Two young dance companies present a double bill of narrative street dance theatre. Zoo Nation gave the premiere of Into the Hoods - an urban fairytale inspired by the musical Into the Woods.

Two lost children find shelter in a tenement block. Befriended by the greedy landlord, they discover their only chance of getting out of the city is to work for him by stealing goods from other flats. This leads them to the homes of Spinderella, Lil’ Red, Jaxx and Rap-on-Zel. To recorded music and a projected filmic backdrop they perform Hip Hop dance theatre. The performers are full of energy and gusto, though not always together in their movements and the work had at times clever and athletic moves.

Impact Dance and Hakeem Onibudo were inspired by the film Underworld. Beneath the streets, feuding Vampire and Lycan werewolf clans battle for supremacy. This high energy show combined street, Hip Hop, jazz, gymnastic moves and contemporary dance.

Though sold out to an enthusiastic young audience, some of whom seemed to have participated in their youth training workshops, this type of show is for a niche market. Street dance is just that and club dance moves are for clubs while making a show out of them with a narrative is an interesting idea but with only two performances this suggests that they know it is commercially unsustainable in its present format.