Five of the best dance productions to watch free of charge at home

1 TO A SIMPLE, ROCK ’N’ ROLL . . . SONG

Michael Clark Company, streaming until July

Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, to a simple, rock ’n’ roll . . . song has been described by London’s Evening Standard as “an adrenaline shot that sends you away buzzing”. At first, it’s a reflection on Erik Satie and his influence on Clark’s mentors past and present – the dance meticulous and coolly refined. Next, there’s commanding choreography pulsating with a propulsive force to the punk rock of Patti Smith’s landmark album, Horses. Then, an iridescent tribute to David Bowie, the mood moving from elegiac to joyously rebellious. The Olivier Award-nominated work comprises a triple bill of gorgeously arresting choreography.

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer

Michael Clark Company presents To a simple rock n roll...song. Picture: Hugo GlendinningMichael Clark Company presents To a simple rock n roll...song. Picture: Hugo Glendinning
Michael Clark Company presents To a simple rock n roll...song. Picture: Hugo Glendinning

2 PARADE

Théâtre du Châtelet, streaming until June 13

On May 18, 1917, the Parade was created at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. It was a show orchestrated by the master of the Ballets Russes, Serge de Diaghilev, with the help of a few artistic legends: Picasso, Satie, Cocteau and Massine. In tribute to the creative madness of this work, the Châtelet staged, almost a century later, a circus evening which celebrates the extraordinary genius of Erik Satie.

Where to watch: www.arte.tv/fr

3 SCATTERED

Motionhouse, streaming now

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Scattered has been taking audiences by storm since October 2009, with sell-out houses and standing ovations in venues across the globe. The work explores our relationship with water, and has proved hugely popular with audiences. Performed on a vertiginous sloping wall, inspired by a quarter pipe, seven performers slide, climb and dive through a magical world where dancers and images interact seamlessly – plunging into an ocean, tumbling down a waterfall and sliding on a frozen landscape of arctic beauty.

4 MOON WATER

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Sadlers Wells, streaming May 15 to 22

World-renowned Cloud Gate Dance Theatre was Taiwan’s first contemporary dance company, and is known for its unique choreography, transforming ancient aesthetics into a modern celebration of motion.Set to Bach’s Suites for Solo Cello, multiple mirrors and gently moving water gradually fill the stage and reflect the dancers’ movements in a beautifully meditative performance.

Where to watch: sadlerswells.com

5 MK ULTRA

Rosie Kay Dance Company, streaming until May 17

MK Ultra explores the rise of a strange, dark myth of our time. How, as millions of young people turn away from the established political systems, they are embracing bizarre conspiracies that they see hidden like a secret code in the culture and music that surrounds them. It’s a visually arresting spectacle, with costumes from Lady Gaga’s designer Gary Card, a gold mirrored stage, hypnotic triangular projections by Louis Price, a pulsing soundtrack of American trap music and a mesmerising score by electro-acoustic composer Annie Mahtani in a work blending Rosie Kay’s vision and Adam Curtis’s documentary elements.

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