THE EYE ON...DANCE

Saturday 25 January 1997 00:02 GMT

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`Dance Hall At Louse Point' is at the Nottingham Playhouse (0115- 941 9419) tonight; Warwick Arts Centre (01203 524524) 31 Jan; QEH, London SE1 (0171-960 4242) 6-9 Feb

Last week it was dance/comedy, this week it's dance/pop music. Collaboration is the new rock 'n' roll. Mark Bruce Dance Company begins its Spring tour tonight with oestrogen angstmeister Polly Jean Harvey and a dance piece inspired by her latest album Dance Hall at Louse Point. Like Jyoti Mishra's current Number One "Your Woman", Dance Hall is a refreshingly low-tech affair. Not only should PJ's clever, grief-laden songs provide some raw material for Bruce to choreograph, but her theatrical stage persona will add to the visuals.

The inclusion of a popular live band in a dance performance can increase your audience in leaps and bounds. Witness Bunty Matthias's , sellout at the Queen Elizabeth Hall back in 1995 when she used live music by Jazzie B. So, though Mark Bruce is an accomplished choreographer and a crowd-puller in his own right, it's the presence of a happening rock band that should make ticket sales unusually brisk.

Bruce, son of Rambert's artistic director Christopher Bruce, may have inherited his fondness for popular music; Bruce Sr's work has included music from Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. Mark Bruce's last work, Angel, featured music by Nirvana and the one before that, Love Sick (1995), used songs by P J Harvey as well as compositions by John Parish. That led Harvey and Parish to approach Bruce about a collaboration. Dance Hall is the result.

After opening at the Nottingham Playhouse tonight, there are four nights at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, which kicks off the 1997 "Spring Loaded" festival.

EYE ON THE CLOCK

No need to rush for Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House this evening. The start has been delayed to 8pm, which means punters emerging at around 11.10pm. Why? Because it will take longer than expected to get the stage in order after the day's rehearsals for Palestrina. Well, it is an Opera House

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