Dancing through the Ether

On 21st February 2026, the Lynton Academy of Dance, headed up by the marvellously talented choreographer Lynne Reucroft-Croome, held a live performance in front of an audience of over 600 at the Royal Hall, Harrogate. The performance was inspired by The Rantonteur's first catalogue of paintings, some of which were animated and projected onto the stage backdrop. The music, a haunting and at times deeply unsettling score, was composed by The Rantonteur and produced by Will Jackson.

"It was a collaboration between two choreographers taking the stimulus from a variety of the paintings by The Rantonteur and the music he had created. It was exciting... and our enthusiasm bubbled over into our work with the dancers...

As choreographers Zsanett [Mezeine Bajaki] and I worked independently... when we came together... we had actually created similar movement patterns... The lines of the dancers arms and bodies, the highlighted use of hands and eyes, the curves and angles, and the wings... in the pictures, all came together in the choreography. The dancers were asked to create layers of improvised movement, taking their own inspiration from the catalogue of paintings and we incorporated this into the final piece.

There was a mixture of dark and light within the work, reflecting aspects of the music and the richness and colours of the paintings. It was a challenge to work with the music... but when we came to put it all together, it worked seamlessly and to great effect.

It was such a great collaboration, a privilege to be involved with, and an inspiration that brought joy into a mundane world"

Lynne Reucroft-Croome

"As a psychic medium I found watching the performance on 21st February incredible.

The music that the dancers performed to had a brain pattern that I would find so good for meditation, and reminded me of aspects of Clockwork Orange.

It leads to the underworld and brings out a huge amount of magic that vapourises thoughts.

I saw lots of birds and a big black crow that is inhis (The Rantonteur's) life. The spirit of the crow is in the music he created. My brain wanted to hook onto both the projection of the paintings on the screen and the music. He is the Crowman, very interesting and very dark.

The [technical] glitch in the projection produced an [unintentional]shock tactic that worked so well with the whole production. The Rantonteur has built in his own spiritual protection into all the pictures, although I saw someone with feet in flames, hands in the fire and a desire to control.

His work is exceptional and the collaboration with the dance created something completely mesmerising. It was a magnificent event.

I can see the production being repeated in the West End..."

Sallie Black