Zoonation Youth Company: Twice in Time, Royal Opera House

They are the change I want to see. A soulful and emotional hip hop theatre dance company, incredibly strong on narrative and storytelling. Into the bargain, their dancing style as a company is exceptional and I love watching both Zoonation and Blue Boy Ent dancers cheer each other on.

For £3–6 my restricted standing view was excellent and Kate Prince’s company delivered marvelously. A magical story of two separated siblings trying to find each other again (and work out who they are and where they belong too) against the background of one gang dominated by sugar consumption and another by the threat of violence and of not being the same. Noticeably both dancing, soundtrack and storyline staged very age appropriate and with and through their dancers Associate Artistic Director Dannielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe and collaborative choreographer Christian ‘Big Kris’ Alozie created something really moving and thoughtful. But still on the money in terms of use of lighting, dancing, use of space and playing throughout to the strengths of their dancers.

Best of all if you stand there is room to have a cheeky dance at the back and the company utterly deserved the whooping and hollers and applause they were getting. Across the board excellence deserves to be celebrated — because here are future dancers, choreographers and more.