I can’t recall my first-ever visit to Resolution! Nor have I been able to determine the exact year when I began to contribute to Resolution! Review as a professional watcher and mentor to aspiring writers. But surely this annual showcase of work by new and (mainly) young choreographers/companies has always been with us. Hasn’t it?
The answer, of course, is no. After a quarter-century it only seems that way. Easy to see why. Even now, in a time when showcases for up-and-coming artists are proliferating, Resolution! remains the mother (or, if you like, the big daddy) of them all. As a staple event of the London/UK dance calendar it’s both a fine way to ring in the New Year and a smorgasbord-like spread for hearty appetites.
Over the decades I’ve grown quite fond of the lucky dip nature of this lively beast. I like making discoveries and appreciate the risks of opening yourself up to work by names you recognise and complete unknowns. I’ve learnt about failure, too, whether that means a given dance failing to engage me or me failing it. One agonising piece, title and maker’s name long-forgotten, got me so riled up I remember thinking, 'I could do better than that!’ and then, as postscript, ’…Couldn’t I?'
And so as winter warmer, treasure hunt or potentially motivating performance feast, hats off to Resolution!
Donald Hutera, Dance Journalist (The Times, Dance Europe)
Have a look at what's on this year in the at a glance programme or browse the full brochure.