The West Midlands is one of the UK’s biggest and best dance hubs, with venues hosting everything from classical ballets to snake-hipped Strictly stars strutting their samba stuff. Here’s a selection of productions hot-shoe shuffling their way into the region over the next few weeks...

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET: SWAN LAKE

Birmingham Royal Ballet here presents its much-loved Sir Peter Wright & Galina Samsova version of a timeless favourite.

Set to Tchaikovsky’s mesmerising score. Swan Lake tells the story of Odette, a beautiful princess who, caught under the spell of the evil Von Rothbart, must spend the daytime hours as a swan, returning to human form only when night falls... 

A sumptuous visual feast, the production offers a spectacle which is ideal for the first-time trier as well as the more-seasoned ballet-goer.

Credit: Céline Gittens as Odette and Odile. © Manvir Rai.

Birmingham Hippodrome, until Saturday 3 October

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LORD OF THE DANCE

Since catapulting traditional Irish music and folk dance into the limelight back in the mid-1990s (ably assisted in so doing by the similarly sensational Riverdance, of course), Michael Flatley’s choreographed adventure, Lord Of The Dance, has become an international phenomenon. 

These Midlands stop-offs form part of a nationwide tour to celebrate 30 years of the hit show, during which time Lord Of The Dance has visited 1,000-plus venues in a total of 60 countries and entertained in excess of 60 million people. If you’ve not yet been among them, then this is the perfect opportunity to catch up with one of the world’s most successful dance extravaganzas. The latest production comes complete with new choreography and features over 150,000 taps per performance.  

The Alexandra, Birmingham, until Sunday 4 October 

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OCKHAM'S RAZOR

Highly rated aerial theatre company Ockham’s Razor are back in the region with a show that features two performers who are well-versed in the business of working with one another. 

Having made circus together for 20 years, the company’s artistic directors, Alex Harvey and Charlotte Mooney, are here returning with a production which sees them taking a deep-dive into the challenges of navigating a relationship while ‘trying to make something with someone else’... The show is a last hurrah as performers for husband & wife team Alex and Charlotte. Following the birth of their daughter, they decided to focus their attention on the challenges of directing shows, so are framing the production, which is titled Collaborator, as a ‘farewell to performing’.  

Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 29 September

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BALLROOM FEVER

One-time Strictly Come Dancing professional Flavia Cacace is the big-name draw for this brand-new ballroom and Latin American dance extravaganza. The show is promising to take its audience on a truly dazzling journey, experienced in the company of a cast of international champion dancers. 

Swan Theatre, Worcester, Tuesday 29 September 

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THE BROWN SUITE

Brand-new dance-theatre work The Brown Suite brings together ballet, contemporary, jazz and Horton technique to tell the tale of seven characters whose lives intertwine across the course of a single night in 1970s New York. The show boasts a soul and funk-fuelled soundtrack spanning the 1960s and 70s and features the music of James Brown, Sam Cooke and Etta James. 

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Monday 5 - Wednesday 7 October; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Saturday 24 October

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ACE DANCE: TWAWSI

Committed to the presentation of contemporary dance inspired by the African Diaspora, ACE Dance & Music here present a double bill of work which they describe as ‘powerful contrasting visions of our world today’.

Echoes Of Dust - taking place against the backdrop of war, disaster and the invisible collapse of human connection - asks the question: when all seems lost, what hope can we still hold on to?
Letlalo, meanwhile, draws from African, Indigenous and contemporary dance languages to explore the deep connection between humanity and the earth. 

Walsall Arena, Tuesday 6 October; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tuesday 17 November; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tuesday 2 March

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BALLET BLACK

Ballet Black have notched up 25 glorious years of performance, taking to stages across the world under the guidance of their highly rated artistic director, Cassa Pancho. Comprising British and international dancers of Black and Asian descent, the company are visiting Coventry this month with a double bill to mark their special birthday. 

The featured works are the Olivier Award-winning Ingoma (2019) - bringing the rarely told stories of Black miners and their communities to the stage - and a new offering from Hope Boykin, created especially for Ballet Black’s anniversary and paying ‘vibrant tribute’ to the company’s journey.

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Wednesday 7 October

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THE NUTCRACKER

The Nutcracker tells the story of a young girl named Clara as she’s swept up in a fantasy of soldiers, giant rats, snow fairies, magic and mystery, before finally being transformed into a beautiful ballerina. The production is presented by Imperial Classical Ballet, who are this year celebrating two decades of touring in the UK. 

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thursday 8 October; Malvern Theatres, Sunday 22 November

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ENGLISH YOUTH BALLET: SWAN LAKE

Founded in 1998, the award-winning English Youth Ballet offers young people interested in dance the opportunity to perform classical ballet alongside professional dancers... 

This month sees the company returning to the region to present their acclaimed version of Swan Lake, a production that features 100 local young performers, all of whom have been carefully selected for their skill and potential. 

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Friday 9 & Saturday 10 October

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ASCENSION DANCE: AMARIS & RAE

Blending movement, light, storytelling and a participatory element, Ascension Dance’s latest production follows a brother and sister on an adventure that sees them travelling through galaxies and encountering aliens.  

The 45-minute show, which will be followed by a 15-minute stay & play session, has been designed for children aged three to seven. The production is also suitable for SEND young people with learning disabilities, aged nine to 13. 

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sunday 11 October   

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MATTHEW BOURNE'S THE CAR MAN

Having scored a hit with an all-male version of Swan Lake more than three decades ago - and in so doing earning a reputation as one of the modern dance era’s most innovative choreographers - Sir Matthew Bourne has since produced a variety of other highly acclaimed and innovative work, not least among which is The Car Man. Loosely based on Bizet’s popular opera Carmen, the show sees the familiar 19th-century Spanish cigarette factory of the original being transformed into a greasy garage-diner in 1950s America, where the dreams and passions of a small town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome and enigmatic stranger..

Birmingham Hippodrome, Tuesday 13 - Saturday 17 October

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EMERALD STORM

From gentle ballet to fiery salsa, and from Irish dance to modern tap, the critically acclaimed Emerald Storm offers something for dance fans of every persuasion.  

The high-energy show has been co-written and co-choreographed by Australian tap dancer and two-time Olivier Award nominee Adam Garcia. Expect mesmerising moves and lightning footwork aplenty...  

The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Friday 23 October; Lichfield Garrick, Monday 29 October; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Friday 6 November   

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KATHAKALI

A traditional classical dance-drama from Kerala in India, Kathakali blends vibrant makeup, elaborate costumes and expressive storytelling. And there are surely no finer exponents of the artform than the Kala Chethana Kathakali Company, the only Kathakali specialists in the country and veterans of more than 5,000 shows and 3,000 workshops. 

The ensemble’s late-month visit to Lichfield includes not only a two-hour performance but also an informal pre-show make-up demonstration and short film, for anybody wishing to find out more about Kathakali. 

Lichfield Garrick, Sunday 25 October 

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