A line of white juggling balls cuts the stage in two. A light comes up on a barefooted dancer in a short black dress, her limbs whirling in frantic circles before fading out. Another spotlight picks up a man in a black suit delicately moving an imaginary juggling ball around his body. Accomplished ballerina Cristiano Castadio and expert juggler Stefan Sing have joined forces to create Tangram, a fascinating and beautifully performed duet about relationships developed through dance and juggling.

The piece explores flirting, falling in love and the push and pull of power within a couple. The juggling balls act as a catalyst for intrigue in each other. Stefan begins to entice Cristiano and an incredibly delicate and playful exchange of balls unfurls. Following an exchange of the white balls in and around the line with flicks of feet and swipes of shoulders, the wall dividing the pair is broken. What ensues is a series of choreographic responses to coupledom. One duet sees Cristiano as a puppet, being whirled round the stage based on Stefan’s whim and fancy. Her limbs drop and jerk with impressive precision, her face pasted with a glassy stare. The sequence is a wonderful showcase for her incredible flexibility.

Elsewhere Cristiano holds the reins, with Stefan chasing her around the stage, gallantly trying to please her. The piece is engaging, funny and always impressive. Cristiano is a fantastic dancer and a joy to watch. The quality of her dancing is urgent and visceral – you can see the sinews of each muscle pulsate with each movement. Equally impressive is Stefan’s performance as both juggler and dancer. The choreography the pair has created in response to the movement of juggling is surprising and fun, whilst his juggling gets increasingly demanding and eye-poppingly impressive – Tangram is an inspiring piece of circus-dance.