Romeo, Romeo, Romeo

“Dance is a mating ritual,” say organisers of an upcoming performance part of the Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival. “Even today in an age of online dating apps, dance continues to play a central role in how many of us find a mate.” Hence, the next dance production presented at the festival on June 8 explores the idea of dance as a thrillingly up close and personal form of courtship.

Four Romeos are on stage, one of whom is performed by a woman, inviting spectators to slip into the role of Juliet and witness the dancers’ struggles to impress with their artistry, charm, athleticism and at times nothing more than naked desperation.

Romeo, Romeo, Romeo, presented by the Joshua Monten Dance Company of Switzerland, is a celebration of the kinetic splendour engendered by hope and desire. Each performer is seen actively grappling with the questions of what sort of man they want to be and how to present themselves to the world. The movement language is based on the dancers’ own specialised mating techniques, studies of animal courtship displays (ostriches, gorillas, unicorns), folk dance traditions (Maori, Greek) and internet dance fads (Gwara Gwara, Whip/Nae Nae). The result is an innovative dance production, featuring exuberant group dances, playful interactions with the audience, and personal insight into this most ancient of dance occasions.

Since its founding in Bern in 2012, the Joshua Monten Dance Company has grown steadily into one of Switzerland’s most widely touring operatives, with more than 700 performances in 37 countries around the world. The range of performance venues is exceptionally broad, including leading venues for contemporary dance, street theatre, visual art, experimental theatre, queer arts and children’s programming.

“Each of Joshua Monten’s productions,” conclude the organisers, “is a rigorously structured composition that leaves ample room for playfulness and pleasure. Technically demanding, highly physical dancing is layered with spoken text and other theatrical codes, thus creating a polyphonic composition that speaks to a wide range of audiences. The productions spin a web of complicity so strong that audience members frequently become characters in the very performance that they are witnessing.”

Romeo, Romeo, Romeo

Dance performance by the Joshua Monten Dance Company. Part of the Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival. June 8. Rialto Theatre, Limassol. 8.30pm. €8. www.cypruscontemporarydancefestival.com