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Scotland on Sunday, UK - June 11, 2006
OLYMPIC FLAME BURNS WITH GRUNGY TAP AND CELTIC FLAMENCO
Don't miss James Devine, the aforementioned speedy tap dancer who will perform with grunge fiddler Ashley MacIsaac.
By Chitra Ramaswamy

The nimble dancer who holds the world record for the fastest taps per second (that's 38 by the way), hip hop fused with classical Korean dance, and the company that opened last year's Turin Winter Olympics - this is just a small taster of the diverse programme of dance and physical theatre on offer at this year's Fringe.

Our top recommendation is Street Life at Aurora Nova, from international ensemble Renegade, who return to the Fringe hot on the heels of 2004's Rumble. That show won a Fringe First and the Guardian Best Physical Theatre Award, and Street Life, a European premiere, is sure to match its astounding success with its youthful collision of street dance, hip hop and digital graffiti.

Aurora Nova, who always offer a top-quality programme and were last year awarded the Tap Water Venue Award for outstanding overall performances, once more have a generous fistful of must-see shows. In another European premiere, Italy's first acrobatic dance company, Kataklo - who opened the Winter Olympics - will entertain with their gravity-defying daredevil stunts. Also, look out for Ketzal, a sublime, epic love letter to the human body itself, from multi-award-winning St Petersburg company Derevo. The show had its British premiere in The Arches last year where it garnered rave reviews.

On the home front, Scottish Dance Theatre are back with Jan De Schynkel's No Stronger Than A Flower, his third work for the company which is inspired by Shakespeare's 'Sonnet 65' and will be accompanied by music from Tom Waits, at Zoo venue, Southside. Also worth checking out is the series of triple bills at Dance Base, which feature contemporary hip-hop company Freshmess alongside an Indian martial arts duo and work from X Factor and the Curve Foundation. Over at the Spiegel Garden, Flame and Fury combines Celtic music from Shooglenifty with flamenco dance.

Argentina's leading dance company, Estampas Portenas, who were behind last year's runaway hit Tango Fire, also return to Assembly with a new show. Expect passion-infused milongas and sophisticated footwork straight from the barrios of Buenos Aires - Strictly Come Dancing this ain't.

For the more avant-garde, don't miss the European premiere from San Francisco's Liss Fain, a choreographer renowned for combining the vertical life of ballet with the experimental flow of modern dance.

Street dance is a running theme at this year's Fringe and aside from Renegade and Freshmess, Assembly at George Street will play host to Korean collective MyoSung. Fusing hip-hop forms with classical Korean dance, the company started out on the underground scene before going on to share the spotlight with shows like Korean blockbuster Jump. This year's spectacle, The Tao Of Hip Hop, is their most ambitious show yet.

Closer to home, Britain's leading street dance company Zoo Nation present Into The Hoods at new venue the UdderBelly. Inspired by Stephen Sondheim's musical Into The Woods, it has been developed with the support of Sadlers Wells and the Peacock Theatre, so it's sure to be a winner.

Finally, don't miss James Devine, the aforementioned speedy tap dancer who will perform with grunge fiddler Ashley MacIsaac (Smirnoff Baby Belly). Needless to say it's ridiculously energetic stuff, presumably even for the people watching, who will no doubt be straining to count all 38 of the taps he thunders out every second.

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