Stunning and original choreography, beauty of movement always, and perfection in the selection of music, were fused together in this staging by Richard Alston.

Stampede, performed to music of 14th Century mediaeval Italian dances, involved the whole company. The floor, light grey, was spotlighted with patterned projections. Using controlled fluid movements, the dancers, aesthetic to the eye in natural colours, moved seamlessly off and on stage as tempi and scene changed. When in duet, the performers were complementary, though not the same necessarily. An accelerando was choreographed very cleverly: the dancers grew more lively and elevations were incorporated. A concluding duet emanated pathos.

Brahms's Klavierstucke, Op.119 and Intermezzo No.6, Op.118 played by fine pianist Jason Ridgway, accompanied A Sudden Exit.

Expressing close relationships and partings, deep emotion was portrayed by the dancers.

Martin Lawrance, as the central figure, evoked our sympathy. Alone, he used extensive stretching actions, close to floor level, then quicker perpetual motion developed as a girl joined him, then a second. Two men became involved, giving a superb exhibition of lithe movement and lifts. The soloist veered between being in unison with different partners, discord, and final dejection - alone again.

Rumours, Visions used Britten's song cycle Les Illuminations, Op.18, an inspired choice of music. In this, the singer expresses in vivid imagery, the obsessions of an artist.

Luke Baio, portraying the artist, a poet, was spotlighted in white against a black floor. The company depicted ideas of towns, royalty, seascape and others, and through the expression of this music we saw very slow statuesque postures, tableaux held momentarily, a duet of beautiful lifts, and gesture and dance synchronized with the vocal line.

The closing sight of our soloist in silhouette, arms outstretched as the music sang 'Enough seen, enough known', was most effective.

Jill Hopkins