Reviews

'The Night Tree is a charming antidote to a commercial Christmas; a worthwhile and magical pause from the busy festivities. The young audience are transfixed as trees spin on wheels, a large snowy owl sweeps around the stage and a hand-held, life-sized deer puppet peeps shyly though the foliage.'

Wonderful World of Dance

‘Lovely, lively and engaging throughout’

The Stage

‘There is a pleasing sense of freedom from gender stereotype here. Tweed skirts on men, boxer shorts on women – it is the childish glee that matters here.’

Reviews Hub

‘It is silly and playful, zany and colourful – a more progressive, subversive take on clothes than you might expect.’

Children’s Theatre Reviews

'Flitting butterflies, slithering snails and leaping grasshoppers take centre stage alongside the fabulously talented performer Takeshi Matsumoto in this stunning short dance film produced by Second Hand Dance.'

Disability Arts Online

'It is absolutely a dance film and the camera joins in the fun, with shots at worm-eye view as Matsumoto wriggles across the lawn and light, floating shots from above, the camera itself a butterfly.'

Disability Arts Online

'Matsumoto’s performance is pitched perfectly…the film transports you to a sunbathed grassy park, with close-ups on gnarly tree trunks and misty greenhouse panes adding to the atmosphere.'

Disability Arts Online

‘sweet, funny, heart-melting, fascinating choreography…You suddenly really, really want to kick off your shoes and join in.’

Teatime in Wonderland

‘Music, video animations, multi-cued lighting and design all play an important part in making this show work: and work it does superbly… well-matched to its target age group whilst still engaging for the adults in the audience’

British Theatre Guide

‘The creative spark from A Second Hand Dance production goes to show how, given the right encouragement, the new technology-craving generation can become engrossed in the natural world and simple play.’

Curious Mum

'I like that dance is inherently sensory – watching other bodies move makes something move inside you – and Touch takes this one step further, inviting physical contact between performers and audience. For the little ones, it encourages play, curiosity, exploration. For me, I come out feeling looser, more alert.'

Exuent Magazine

'I loved being able to watch a piece of dance, enjoy it and see my children learn to love it too. I hope this is the start of us being able to enjoy dance together more often. I have said in my blogs in the past that I have found it hard to engage with arts activities like I used to but after this performance I feel like I have found something that has been missing from my life for a while and it is lovely to have it back.'

Greatest Showmum