There are some blossoms that women of uncertain age don't want on their hands.

Fleurs de Cimetiere (literally 'flowers from the graveyard') are on that list: they're actually age spots.

The five women on stage gesture at their (supposed) outwards signs of ageing - bits sagging, muscles twingeing, limbs stiffening - but there's no shortage of grace, poise or spirited playfulness when they dance. At times, the spoken text, with its re-iterated musings on life choices - do men have more, and better ones? - protests too much, but Myriam Herve-Gil's choreography of whimsical defiance, with its soundscore ranging from French chanson to Scottish folk-song, has the kind of charm that never grows old.

Run ends Thursday

'Oooh, it's so heavy!' says the sympathetic dancer who's just weighed my handbag. But there are other, weightier matters to be dealt with in What is the weight of your desire? as the four women in Vertadance grapple with the way physical appearance seems to be such a deciding factor in their lives. All the tongue-in-cheek stuff about size, shape and cuteness is merrily in the mix, but this fiercely felt piece is serious about the way women's bodies are exposed, exploited and abused - either because a society encourages a kind of scantily-clad freedom, or else forces them to be almost invisible (or totally covered up).

The choreography shrewdly brings out the confusion in each woman's search for a true-to-self identity, sexuality even, as it celebrates the technique, stamina and charisma they all share. Yet another slice of mettlesome provocation from the Czech Dance Showcase at Zoo.

Ends on August 25

So, how would you define risk? Financial gambles? Unlikely love affairs? In Out Of His Skin, 2faced Dance make it all intensely physical, picking up on the trend for extreme sports that carry the risk of injury or even death. A scaffolding tower at one side acts as the block of flats where restless adrenalin-junkies literally climb the walls and occasionally launch themselves off the roof, parkour-style. In between times, the shadowlands of the stage space hint at the inner darkness that drives one man to the brink of self-destruction.

There's a relentless edge to the music and the movement, and maybe the hour it lasts pushes us to the limit. But the 2Faced lads are such a fit, dynamic ensemble - melding hip-hop power moves with athletic contemporary dance - that there's no risk whatsoever in buying a ticket: they more than deliver the promised rollercoaster thrills.

Ends on August 26

MORRIS Dance - meet hip-hop. Hip-hop - meet clogging. What's this? You reckon your styles will never be in step? Well meet the Demon Barbers, whose folk-inflected music has all the rhythms you need to get your feet tapping whether you're in hard-soled shoes or street-cool trainers. This unlikely crossover between Olde English Morris-men traditions (albeit in modern dress without bells on) and the in-yer-face prowess of Bboys (and girl) generates a total whammy of non-stop fun and nifty footwork.

Underneath it all, however, is a warm-hearted reminder of how past communities came together in music, song and dance - often in pubs, as in The Lock In - and how the old mumming ways and seasonal rituals are a heritage that doesn't need dressing up, although the costumes are pretty eye-catching! What reaches out is the exuberance, and the infectious rhythms when a clogging lass puts her foot down.

Run ends Thursday