Uplifting and raw, mystical and mighty, the power of dance is brought to Kent audiences by some of Europe’s most talented young performers, Verve 12

In moody lighting, shapes dart through a smokey stage. This is dance at its most raw, performed by Verve 12, the postgraduate company of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.

Their powerful movements transfix eyes to the front, as they interpret themes of ritual and meditation through dance.

This year’s tour includes an exclusive restaging of British-Bangladeshi dancer Akram Khan’s Vertical Road. The piece is inspired by Persian poet and philosopher Rumi as well as the Sufi tradition, a scholarly branch of Islam which focuses on the religion’s mystical elements.

It sees the dancers explore man’s earthly nature and the consequences of human actions, charting a journey from gravity to grace.

Also in this year’s repertoire is Dynamo by Lea Anderson, Dark in the Afternoon by James Cousins and Let Go by Milan Kozanek.

Another highlight is For Dear Life by Jordan Massarella, which uses dance to express the belief that if you hope for something enough, a seemingly unavoidable event can be avoided. The dancers convey in captivating style that until we learn to accept change, we will always suffer.

This is an energetic and athletic programme of innovative dance, performed by some of Europe’s most talented young dancers.

Verve 12 bring their show to Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Theatre on Tuesday, March 27 from 7.45pm. Tickets £12. Box office 01227 769075.