Dance Umbrella 2009

The annual Dance Umbrella festival shows no sign of flagging, with a programme that's strong on international talent with a few homegrown gems thrown in, as well as a series showcasing African dance. Here are our highlights

The big name
On a run of great form, Michael Clark goes glam rock in his latest, 'Come, Been and Gone' (Oct 28-Nov 7), set to music by David Bowie and Iggy Pop.

The festival favourite
Mark Morris Dance Group first came to Dance Umbrella 25 years ago, and guess what? They're back again, with a mixed programme of old and new works (Oct 27-30).

The older newcomers
Hardly new to dance, but new to the festival, Wally Cardona and Rahel Vonmoos perform 'A Light Conversation' (Oct 13-14), a nimble, thoughtful and notably grown-up duet with a Radio 4 soundtrack.

The free one
Austrian artist Willi Dorner turns bodies into architectural interventions on the streets of London in 'Bodies in Urban Spaces' (Oct 16-18).

The intriguing European
A former journalist and dramaturge for Pina Bausch, Raimund Hoghe has successfully taken to making his own dance works. 'L'Apres-Midi' is radical reimagining of 'L'Apres-Midi d'un Faune' for solo dancer Emmanuel Eggermont.

The plucky Brit
Sheffield-based provocateur Charlotte Vincent makes her festival debut with Vincent Dance Theatre in 'If We Go On' (Oct 16-17).

The community event
Rosemary Lee has a track record of bringing non-professional dancers into her work and 'Common Dance' (Oct 29-Nov 1) is no exception. Fifty dancers aged from eight to 80 inhabit Greenwich's grand Borough Hall for a large-scale, site-specific performance.

Dance Umbrella runs from Oct 6-Nov 7 2009. Look right for more listings.