One helluva show

Covering a staggering 105 performances by 102 companies spread over six weeks of triple bills, this year's Resolution season, the biggest ever, is as exhaustive as it is potentially exhausting. From abstract posturing to slapstick comedy by way of political physical theatre, this is dance in all its dizzying diversity.

There is no selection process for most nights, so this is the closest dance gets to a comedy try-out night: the audience's safety blanket lies in the fact that few pieces on show exceed 30 minutes.

On the up side, Resolution can be an important springboard for new choreographic talent, as evidenced by the fact that three of last year's best-received outfits have been selected to top and tail this year's programme.

Scattered throughout the season are ten up-and-coming young European companies, picked by overseas dance promoters: these are often the nights worth taking a gamble on. It's a rare chance to sample modern dance from the farflung likes of Cyprus, Slovenia, Norway and the Czech Republic, which we'd otherwise never get to see. Personally, I have high hopes for Germany's Selfish Shellfish: with a name like that, how can they fail?

Resolution!