I once danced in a pool of sweat when Bob Marley came to Leeds. RJC Dance didn't have quite the same effect, but they soon had us rocking in our seats to the reggae rhythms of their latest offering, Mekwae.
In Caribbean patois, Mekwae means make way, clearing space for a cultural experience, this time for the final part in the company's trilogy focusing on their eponymous dance disciplines of reggae, jazz and contemporary.
A joyful celebration of reggae and its roots with a bit of skanking, lovers' rock, ska and capoeira mixed in, Mekwae is set to a specially commissioned score from composer Matthew Bourne, who won the BBC jazz award for innovation last year. Working with five musicians known as Kabin Fever, he has come up with a rich tapestry of sounds from Marley to Moorish with infectious West-Indian beats and haunting north-African influences.
RJC are versatile performers with the acrobatic strength of De-Napoli Clark, the fluid precision of Debbie Wild and the wicked wit of artistic director Edward Lynch when he gets into character roles. RJC always connect with young audiences and are committed to encouraging dancers for the future.
So here the Youth Dance Company strutted their stuff with a jungle rave showing plenty of promise. With dub poetry, projected images and martial arts duels, this was a kaleidoscope of action with shifting moods.
RJC embraces dance theatre and, after spiralling Alice in Wonderland-style down a projected tunnel with floating tea sets, they were treated to a brew with a posse of perky pensioners, all bloomers and walking sticks.
Lynch has a gift for comedy and here the creaky Caribbean golden oldies shook those arthritic hips and got on down, fortified by a nip or three of rum. Great fun.
· At Baysgarth School, Barton on Humber, on Friday. Box office: 01652 637487. Then touring.
