The Lowry announced their Winter Dance Season this week.
I know it's entirely a reflection of the parlous state of dance in Manchester / Salford - and the UK more widely - but at this point it feels like they're laughing at us.
They announced five new shows - all next year - two of which are solos, one of which is juggling, and the only major announcement - RAMBERT X (LA)HORDE - is in SEPTEMBER!
I remember a few years ago causing a storm in their marketing team when they launched their dance season and I complained that with 12-13 shows it was no bigger than when they didn't have a 'dance season'.
Now I'm just embarrassed for a city where there is almost no sign even of the few 'local' companies - let alone the almost complete absence of any significant dance at all.
At this point in the year (mid-September) I have seen TEN dance shows (one of them twice). of which one was in London and one was in Leeds, so eight in Manchester/Salford. Of those one was at Aviva Studios, one was at Waterside, Sale, one at New Adelphi at Salford University and one at HOME (twice). So only FOUR shows at the Lowry. I used to do that a month. I can't even.
In brighter news... Aviva Studios | Factory International have announced the world premiere of a newly completed work by Crystal Pite and Nederlands Dans Theater - Figures In Extinction -for February 2025 - which is exactly what we want to hear.