The quality and quantity of contemporary dance gracing Beirut stages never ceases to amaze, and this month’s show at Al Madina Theatre is no exception. The Beirut Dance Company is a contemporary dance company whose choreography by Lebanese born Nada Kano is firmly grounded in classical ballet training.

Having performed over ten shows in eight years, their show this month is a double bill. ‘L’Etreinte’ is a duet, premiered in 2011, recounting a chance encounter and inspired, intriguingly, by Spinoza’s assertion that ‘Love is joy with the accompanying idea of an external cause’. (Translation: love is the emotion of someone giving you joy, if you didn’t quite catch that.)

Expect stunning projections and set by renowned Amsterdam based Iranian graphic designer Reza Abedini, winner of the 2006 Principal Prince Claus Award. The Dutch Embassy is sponsoring Abedini’s residency in Beirut, which included an exhibition at Beiteddine Festival. ‘Element Terre’ was one of five finalists in the dance section of the 2009 Francophone Games held in Beirut. The piece explores the quest for identity and freedom of the generation of people who have chosen exile to escape war. As the first performance of the piece since the Games, it’s not to be missed.