A Map The main London dance festival is Dance Umbrella.

The tale was told at Dance Umbrella's 18th-anniversary gala, held midway through the three-week event.

The first Dance Umbrella, held in February 1989 on a minuscule budget of less than $500, wasn't much like Jacob's Pillow.

"No one has ever acknowledged what Phillip has done for dance in this country," said Georgina Thomson, the artistic director of Dance Umbrella.

"In the case of Dance Umbrella, he enabled a whole artistic field to exist."

Most of the choreographers and dancers at Dance Umbrella are black; most of the audience is, too.

And the central idea of the show, put together by Dance Umbrella of Boston, was first-rate.

Presented by Dance Umbrella, this festival presents airborne choreography using trapezes, ropes and bungee cords.

The Dance Umbrella is held every October, and features a variety of dance companies putting on displays across London.

Richard Alston presented a retrospective as part of Dance Umbrella, with his customary smooth skill.