Ballet Folklórico De México, London
Dance is one of the key ways in which any country celebrates and sustains its own history, and in the 63 years since Amalia Hernández founded Ballet Folklórico, this company has been maintaining Mexico’s rich stock of folk dance, music and national costume. Now directed by Hernández’s grandson Salvador López, the company has infused its basic traditional material with more contemporary elements, embracing the diversity of Mexican culture in dances such as the folk ballet Sones de Michoacán (Melodies of Michoacán) with its pre-hunt Deer Dance.
London Coliseum, WC2, Wed to 25 Jul
New Art Club: Hercules, London
Tom Roden and Pete Shenton started out as choreographers who found aspects of their artform irresistibly funny, and have now become a unique crossover: part dance, part stand-up. Hilarious, precise and inventive as creators, the two men also encourage participation from audiences and, in the case of their current family show, contributions from local performers. Hercules is a piece about the strong man of ancient myth, re-imagining the story of his 12 labours in the form of a modern cabaret. Shenton is the unlikely superhero and Roden the confused compere in this superbly entertaining show, which also features the virtuoso hula hooper Tiina Tuomisto.
Peacock Theatre, WC2, Fri & 25 Jul
