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Subtle subversion
SUSAN DARLINGTON sees a nuanced reinterpretation of Beauty and the Beast as a feminist fable
Dance dance 18/4/18
JOHN GREEN relishes photography that unfolds a longstanding and poetic relationship with Leeds
A uncomfortably misogynistic authorial voice that sometimes seems to lack insight troubles FIONA O’CONNOR
MARY CONWAY is disappointed by a production that panders – if inadvertently – to Western prejudice against China
JOHN GREEN is fascinated by a history that excavates the enormous role played by agricultural workers in recent times
ALEX HALL recommends a book that places empirical evidence at the heart of understanding racism
A recognition that individually we are powerless both politically and socially is essential, writes GORDON PARSONS
TORO: Beauty and the Bull
Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds/Touring
THE DENADA dance theatre company is an international group of dancers, most of whom are of Hispanic or Latino descent and their mission is to promote cultural, gender and sexual equality and diversity through a unique mix of contemporary dance, classical ballet, flamenco and Latino dance.
Thus it proves in TORO: Beauty and the Bull. Feminist re-readings of fairytales are now well established, but the company pushes the boundaries further by transforming the fairytale Beauty And The Beast into a a dystopian moral narrative for other oppressed groups.
It opens in a prostitute’s parlour, with four men fighting for the attentions of The Girl (Emma Walker). Indifferent to how they use her body, they pull her across the stage and hump her as she lies inert, making bored seductive gestures to the Latino music.
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SUSAN DARLINGTON revels in a band that know their own continuing relevance
