Dance review: Revel explores ageing on stage at Byre Theatre, St Andrews

A new dance production, Revel, staged by Company Chordelia at the Byre Theatre in St Andrews, examines what it means to keep performing as the body ages, according to a review published by The Guardian.

The piece is described as a "whimsical rumination" on the physical changes that come with age, and functions as a personal response to the fear that continuing to dance past a certain point might mean, in the words of the review, making "a spectacle of yourself."

Revel was conceived and staged by Kally Lloyd-Jones, the artistic director of Company Chordelia, who also performs in the piece. She is joined onstage by co-creator Steinvör Palsson, who the review notes is a well-known teacher and choreographer within the Scottish dance community.

According to the review, the production structures itself around warm-up routines that give way to a broader reflection on a life spent on the stage. The Guardian's review characterises the show as "funny" and "carefully calibrated," suggesting a tone that balances humour with more contemplative material on the toll dance can take on an ageing body.

The Guardian's review notes that the inevitable aches and sprains associated with an ageing body take on heightened significance for a dancer who must still show up to work each day, framing this as a central theme of the piece.

Company Chordelia is a Scottish dance company, and the production was reviewed following its run at the Byre Theatre in St Andrews.