British Invasion

The English have given us so much: the Stamp Act, Newcastle Brown Ale and the genius of Ricky Gervais. They inspire us toward better dental hygiene and force us to re-evaluate the true meaning of fair skin. Their wacky driving habits spice up vacations by keeping pedestrians on their toes, and the country's undying, collective love for the Gallagher brothers is truly a feat to be admired. Their presence in America is becoming ever stronger, what with a new line of Boots pharmacy products at Target and Bloc Party invading everybody's best-of-2005 list. Now, the folks from across the pond (well, some of them) are chassé-ing onto Texas soil with the Richard Alston Dance Company, a contemporary performance group from London. The pasty pirouetters in Lycra will wow you with their modern moves to the soothing tunes of Claudio Monteverdi and Maurice Ravel. Founder Alston was one of the original students at the London School of Contemporary Dance, meaning that this bloke was contemporary before many of our faithful readers were born, which is a funny thought in a temporal sense. Those Brits. Always making you think. The troupe performs 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the McFarlin Auditorium, 6405 Boaz Lane. Tickets are $14 to $59. Call 214-528-5576 or visit www.titas.org.
Jan. 27-28, 8 p.m.