I once had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Medea Mahdavi, a Persian classical dancer who took exception to the term, ’belly dancer’, on the reasonable grounds that the notion was absurd, as absurd as say calling someone a ‘hand dancer’ because they happen to use their hands a lot whilst dancing. Her point was that in Persian classical dance the dancer uses their whole body – belly and all. In any case the whole concoction was a cheap wheeze to part Europeans from their cash in Cairo on the promise of ‘something exotic’.

Hannah Sullivan has looked at this notion of using the different parts of the body when dancing and used it as both an analysis of character and as a key to memory. Echo Beach is a collection of dance sketches based on observation of the movement of others, how they dance, what bits of them they use; friends, family, strangers in a disco-bar. The overall impression is of someone who sees the world in terms of dance. If anyone has seen that Ken Robinson TED talk on education, she is that little girl who has to dance.

From the lone dancer who internalises the music and dances for themselves to the exhibitionist flailing around and the courtship display dancer, all smoothness and subtlety on the pull, we are given an array of possible Laban types – although there is nothing in the handout notes to suggest she uses Laban notation formally in her work. But this is about character we can all see day to day and like any good art it invites us to see things anew.

Her personal style is engaging and fluid and not without a sense of humour. She has a remarkable ability to rhythmically tie herself in a knot – or perhaps climb into / out of her own skin. Recalling – that is to say reliving – the experience of seeing mum and dad dance together (to Echo Beach by Martha and the Muffins) nicely conveyed the sense of excitement and wonderment of a twelve year old at witnessing such a phenomenon.

It’s a brave thing to do to think you can entertain a bunch of people in this way, but Hannah Sullivan does it in some style. Here is novelty and innovation on the unclaimed land between dance and mime presented with confidence and skill – rare talents. Where she goes next we shall have to wait and see and content ourselves for the time being with this little nugget.   ★★★☆☆     Graham Wyles      25/10/14