Cinderella, Sadler's Wells review - Matthew Bourne puts Cinderella through the Blitz

★★★★ CINDERELLA, SADLER'S WELLS Matthew Bourne puts Cinderella through the Blitz

Prokofiev's dark glitterball of a ballet score with added air raid sirens

Even if Matthew Bourne were never to choreograph another step, he could fill theatres in perpetuity by rotating old stock. Cinderella, made in 1997, was the follow-up to his break-out hit Swan Lake but, never quite happy with it, he reworked it in 2010, replacing the musicians in the pit with a custom-made recording of an 82-piece orchestra.

Betroffenheit, Crystal Pite & Jonathon Young, Sadler's Wells

★★★★★ BETROFFENHEIT, CRYSTAL PITE & JONATHON YOUNG, SADLER'S WELLS Astonishing, unclassifiable work of dance theatre about an unrepresentable subject

Astonishing, unclassifiable work of dance theatre about an unrepresentable subject

Where does my voice come from? Whose is my body? It’s apt that these questions run deep through a work that was created jointly by an actor, Jonathon Young, and a choreographer, Crystal Pite.

Matthew Bourne's Early Adventures, Sadler's Wells

★★★★ MATTHEW BOURNE'S EARLY ADVENTURES, SADLER'S WELLS Choreographer's young works make up in sparkle what they lack in depth

Choreographer's young works make up in sparkle what they lack in depth

Not every artist attains the kind of status that will allow their early works to be revived – or, when revived, greeted with commercial and critical success. This is something of a shame for those of us with a historical mindset who like seeing where an artist has come from and how they have developed.

FLA.CO.MEN, Israel Galván, Sadler's Wells

FLA.CO.MEN, ISRAEL GALVÁN, SADLER'S WELLS Maverick dancer opens annual flamenco festival with a playful jam-session of a show

Maverick dancer opens annual flamenco festival with a playful jam-session of a show

Before this Sadler's Wells Flamenco Festival-opening performance of Israel Galván's show FLA.CO.MEN, my guest wanted to know what the show would be like.

Conceal/Reveal, Russell Maliphant Company, Messums Barn

CONCEAL/REVEAL RUSSELL MALIPHANT COMPANY Modern dance finds a serene new home in a 13th-century tithe barn

Modern dance finds a serene new home in a 13th-century tithe barn

An inviting gap in the market, a dark, mysterious place, was left beckoning when the dance theatres of Britain cashed in on expensive refurbs in the name of public accessibility. Putting an end to mystique, they homed in on IKEA style, all glass, pale wood and airport foyer briskness. The theatre as a continuum with our office space, blank, unprejudicing, unintoxicating, all about efficiency and the bottom line.

Natalia Osipova, Sadler's Wells

NATALIA OSIPOVA, SADLER'S WELLS Superstar ballerina and new partner Sergei Polunin lack lustre in self-commissioned contemporary triple

Superstar ballerina and new partner Sergei Polunin lack lustre in self-commissioned contemporary triple

Why does Natalia Osipova, one of the world's best classical, dramatic ballerinas, want to start a sideline in contemporary dance in the middle of her career? Two years ago, when she mounted her first self-commissioned contemporary triple bill with her then newly-ex-fiancée Ivan Vasiliev, I was willing to believe that it was for the love of trying new things, pushing her own boundaries, and taking all aspects of her artform seriously.

Betroffenheit, Sadler's Wells/Ballet BC, Birmingham Hippodrome

BETROFFENHEIT /BALLET BC Choreographer du jour Crystal Pite heads up two impressive Canadian cultural offerings

Choreographer du jour Crystal Pite heads up two impressive Canadian cultural offerings

I could tell you what the German word "Betroffenheit" means by giving a dictionary definition, etymology and connotations and so on. But I won't, because this dance-drama hybrid by Jonathan Young and Crystal Pite is precisely not about pinning down definitions or making sense through words in a descriptive, iterative sort of way, but about capturing feelings or states of being in a much more metaphorical, experiential, immersive way. Betroffenheit is in one sense, then, the feeling you have after watching the show Betroffenheit.

BalletBoyz, Life, Sadler's Wells

BALLETBOYZ, LIFE, SADLER'S WELLS Controversial choreographer Javier de Frutos fakes own death, steals show

Controversial choreographer Javier de Frutos fakes own death, steals show

Hearing that both Javier de Frutos and rabbit heads appear in the new BalletBoyz bill might give you pause. A choreographer so unafraid of graphic content that he started his career with naked one-man shows, and later made a piece about the Pope so sexually explicit and offensive that he got death threats – do the rabbit heads mean we're in for some kind of furvert orgy?

Preview: International Dance Festival Birmingham 2016

PREVIEW: INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL BIRMINGHAM 2016 Rich cultural programme in England's second city aims to stimulate economy, promote gender equality

Rich cultural programme in England's second city aims to stimulate economy, promote gender equality

International Dance Festival Birmingham (IDFB) is one of the unsung heroes not just of dance in Britain, but of festivals. It treats anyone within striking distance of the West Midlands to an exciting range of performers and public dance events over three weeks, and is cleverly scheduled in May – when lengthening days and bank holidays make us want to go out and have a good time, but it's not quite warm enough for camping.

10 Questions for Choreographer Charles Linehan

10 QUESTIONS FOR CHOREOGRAPHER CHARLES LINEHAN Berlin, time machines, Robert Wyatt and more

Prior to Brighton Fest premiere, Charles Linehan talks Berlin, time machines, Robert Wyatt and more

Charles Linehan is an acclaimed British choreographer, whose company has performed all over the world, from DanSpace New York to Brussels’ Kaai Theatre to the Venice Biennale. Born in Cyprus and raised in Kent, he studied at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, prior to honing his craft as a dancer with various European companies.