We saw a performance by Traces at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry last night. An acrobatic dance show described on their site thus:
TRACES combines high-level circus skills with an electric urban street energy. With disciplines as varied as Chinese poles, basketball, skateboards, classical piano, dance, comedy and illustration, these five acrobats move quickly from one skill to the next, interpreting each in surprising and innovative ways.
It was breathtaking. I really like modern dance, especially street forms, but circus level performance with strong dance choreography in a well thought out setting is a truly uplifting experience. What well trained, athletic, talented people can do with their bodies at times defies our common experience of physics and is a joy to behold. There is a promotional video on the site well worth seeing (although probably best not to if you are already looking to go see them, so you get everything as a surprise).
We see a lot of performances at the Belgrade because it is not so far from the base office I am attached to for my employer although I very rarely visit there as I am usually working on client sites. It is also a good hour or so from home. I am though a member of the theatre club associated with the office which brings to my attention a wide variety of theatre productions usually at discounted prices. As Stratford is not so far away, this includes many performances by the RSC at the The Courtyard Theatre (we got to see the now famous performance of Hamlet by David Tennant at a preview show, for example).
There is another reason for liking the theatre: there is a rather good Indian restaurant a short walk from their called Tumeric Gold which is deservedly award winning and offers an atypical menu. There also use less oil than most such places and offer healthy options. The atmosphere is also rather special not least for being based in a four hundred year old building in the heart of medieval Coventry. Fortunately, we got to Coventry in plenty of time to have an extremely nice meal at a relaxed pace.
The trip home was not fun as several slip roads onto the local motorways were closed, and even when we finally managed to get onto the M6, we found it completely closed a couple of junctions before the the exit we needed so we ended up taking a detour through Wednesbury and Wolverhampton, cutting around the traffic diverted from the M6.
