Orbital

Vanhulle Dance Theatre bring Orbital to the Auditorium at Exeter Phoenix on Thursday 29 October, starting at 7.30pm. It's a dance duet that pulls from a few different places at once, mixing contemporary dance with Tang Soo Do and Capoeira, set to an atmospheric score by Domenico Angarano. The two martial arts bring their own distinct energy to the stage: Tang Soo Do is a Korean style, and Capoeira is the Afro-Brazilian art that blends fighting with dance and acrobatics, so there's a lot of ground for the piece to cover.

On stage, that translates into a fair bit of contrast. You'll see explosive, high-risk lifts and acrobatic flips side by side with moments of quiet precision, and the martial arts are what the company uses to look at how people stay connected in a chaotic world. It's a duet, so it's two dancers working together through all of that.

The piece is choreographed by Imogen Reeve, who's back at Exeter Phoenix after her 2023 show Discopia. Orbital is part of the venue's Autumn Performance Programme, and the music comes from Domenico Angarano, whose score runs through the whole thing.

Tickets are Pay What You Can, from £8 to £16, with a £6 rate for students and under-25s, and there's a £1.50 ticketing system charge on top. It's for ages 8 and up, so it works if you're bringing younger ones along. The show is in the Auditorium at Exeter Phoenix, on Bradninch Place off Gandy Street in the city centre, and it starts at 7.30pm on Thursday 29 October.