Image of Avant Garde Dance Company

East London Dance Company’s recent production, Local/International, took the precarious role of shaping for Londoner’s the state of dance in this country. That is, in the world. It brought the story of “internationalism” - the less trendy forefarther to globalization - to a city that is the epicentre for such processes.  And this story is dictated by an all female cast of choreographers (some well known, others just breaking the ice) inside the city that’s seen it all, either welcomed it, contained it, or passively ignored it.

Consisting of six pieces, “1976″ outlining the Soweto uprising by the Phoenix Dance Company, Ballet Black performing Antonia Franceschi’s ‘Kinderszenen’, and work from Adiaspora Collective, Funmi Adewole and Belgian b-girl Yiphun Chiem, the precariousness of Local/International is to try and bring different stories of dance together, as a collective through movement - the most universal of art forms. It’s a heart-stopping, thumping, hip-shaking, finely choreographed kind of accomplishment.

Dance companies like East London and Ballet Black bring their progressive fusion melding different stories into one space, performing for - and from - a world that is constantly changing. And there’s no better background than the kaleidoscopic landmarks of East London for these steps.

Upcoming projects and performances from the East London Dance company include Stylefest, an international underground weekend battle event, on 17th and 18th April and Dance Away With the Circus on 24 April at Stratford Circus.