Dance Umbrella 2024, Various Venues and Online

Dance Umbrella has been going for 46 years presenting and commissioning international work and artists at the forefront ot the sector. Now under the artistic directorship of Freddie Opoku-Addaie, it continues the recent trend of broadening its remit beyond dance performances to include talks, discussions, film and hybrid works blending two or more art forns; and it's also spread over a variety of sometimes unexpected venues, as well as online.

You can find the full programme of Dance Umbrella 2024 here

What follows is Culture Whisper's pick of this year's packed three weeks of dance performances:

-- Mamela Nyamza, Hatched Ensemble – Barbican Theatre, 9 – 12 October at 20.15 Dur.: 80 mins no interval. Tickets: £15-30
The South African choreographer Mamela Nyamza assembles 10 dancers, one opera singer and a multi-instrumentalist to present a truly original, inquisitive show. UK Premiere. Full details and trailer here

-- Diana Niepce, The Other Side of Dance -- Queen Elizabeth Hall – 16 & 17 October at 19:30 Dur.: 90 minutes inc brief pause and post-show talk. Tickets: £11.25, £15
Portuguese dancer, choreographer and acrobat Niepce explores her recovery from a spinal chord injury, seeking new ways to integrate the disabled body into mainstream dance. UK Premiere. Full details here

-- Abby Z and The New Utility, Radioactive Practice – Sadler's Wells – 18 & 19 October at 19:30 Dur.: 1 hour no interval. Tickets: £25-30


DU24 Abby Z and the New Utility, Radioactive Practice. Photo: Maria Baranova

Directly from New York, choreographer Abby Zbikowski and crew blend a mind-boggling variety of movement, including street dance, post-modern dance, tap, football and a lot more in a high-energy show that purports to explore the complexities of contemporary living. European premiere. Full details and trailer here

-- Pocketart, Fairy Tales – The Place, 22 & 23 October at 19:30. Dur.: 1 hour no interval. Tickets: £20, £24
Czech dance and physical theatre collective Pocket Art presents the UK premiere of its latest work, featuring eight female dancers and two musicians. Exploring the intersection of femininity, identity and self-discovery, it seeks inspiration in figures from childhood fairy tales. Full details and trailer here

There is also a full programme of Family Shows designed to coincide with half-term, and based in the Unicorn Theatre and Potters Fields Park. Details here