Zoo is the company of Swiss choreographer, dancer and performance maker Thomas Hauert, here in collaboration with four other European artists. Enhanced Dance to Disguised Music is a highly conceptual piece for the over-fives, matching the playful disjunction of John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano (1946-8) with a dancer similarly encumbered by a changing variety of costumes and objects.

Starting slowly, with a projection of the audience on the shrouded piano, a bulky Christo-style wrapped statue begins to sway, then shuffle and gradually disrobe. Beneath is the performer Mat Voorter, in a costume built from balloons and stockings. It looks and sounds extremely uncomfortable and his movement is continually hampered as he squelches around the floor. This theme of transformation continues through a range of other equally uncomely outfits, contriving to hinder the body’s versatility.

While Cage’s quirky and playful music provides a good counterpoint to the action, it remains tonally level throughout. The same can be said for the piece as a whole. The stated desire to have all the process and effort visible makes for a dull audience experience, particularly for children. It is fun when the long-johns become bulbous shapes or when sticks add a sense of danger, but it is less fun to watch these changes taking place in real time. It also means that there is little actual dance to speak of, more a stumbling over, round, and through things. The effort is palpable but it doesn’t make a very interesting stage picture.

When balloon and stocking creatures emerge from over the back wall, there is a sense of awe and beauty. They fill the space and have personality, until they too are taken apart, or popped. The lighting at this point (Jan Van Gijsel) is effective but could be more magical.

There is little interaction between pianist (Daan Vandewalle) and Mat Voorter. The pianist seems barely engaged with the piece at all. The audience is kept similarly distanced, which is unusual for a children’s piece. It lacked the emotional tug of, for example, Crying Out Loud’s L’Après-midi d’un Foehn, which creates such a real and moving world from plastic bags and wind-fans.

The well-behaved youngsters were rewarded with balloons at the end of show. Something at least to take away.