In this, the Scottish year of Homecoming, a show like Celtic Caledonia – The Curse, feels very appropriate. Telling the story of a battle between the Gaels and the Picts, the dance show is divided into thirteen dance pieces, each one of them taking the narrative forward.
Each clan has their own dance style, and while the Gaels use Irish dancing, the Picts have Contemporary. Both groups excel at their dance style, and towards the end, you can see them merge styles together, as both clans end up befriending each other. All performers are outstanding, even when the space is a bit constricted, and the music goes perfectly well with the mood created.
There are some problems with this production though. The voice over does seem a bit forced and its slap-dash style needs a polishing. The storyline isn’t always made perfectly clear either, leaving you a sense of not knowing exactly what’s going on. A main section, dealing with each clan’s God and their magic feels rushed, and doesn’t sit well with the rest of the production. Though both Jennifer Hogan (also the director) and Chris Carroll are good on their roles as The Sorcerer and The Drow, their involvement on the whole narrative seems unnecessary.
It is also worth highlighting both clan leaders, who can convey the instant attraction they feel for each other pretty successfully, even when they don’t have much time on stage to take it further. A solo dance between both would have benefited the production.
All in all, Celtic Caledonia – The Curse has some really interesting ideas, and a fantastic cast of dancer, but it is all slightly let down by a muddled storyline.
3/5 
Adrian G. Velazquez
(3 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)
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