ABSTRACT
Considered in relation to the various trends that characterize British modern and postmodern dance, Matthew Bourne’s is a unique and isolated case. Bourne is not interested in abstract compositions or in experimenting with new means of expression. His principal aim is to create dances in which the theatrical element is particularly evident, for he believes strongly in what can be called pure ‘theatre magic’—whether it be the refined scenario of a ballet classic or the spectacular panache of a Busby Berkeley musical. In every work, from Overlap Lovers (1987), the first he created for his group, Adventures in Motion Pictures, Bourne’s personal adaptation of theatre magic is instantly recognizable.
